The Love Adviser
by Seyary-Minamoto
Summary: After breaking up with Suki, Sokka asks Princess Azula to help him assess his relationships, so he can avoid further heartbreaks and finally find his right partner. But despite her observation skills, Azula might not be as effective a love adviser as Sokka hoped. Can the wrong advice lead him to the right girl? Canon-compliant, sorta.
1. Chapter 1

So here we are, with a brand new story about my well-known favorite pair!

This particular story was commissioned by Kifo Sotri (if you want to commission stories or art from me, head to my Deviantart to check my prices and let me know if you're interested in anything!), and as the one-shot it was supposed to be, it is a bit shorter than my usual full-length fics. But it was also longer yet than my long-shot, It Had To Be You, so, in the face of that particular problem, I figured I'd split it up in four chapters. I'll make sure to post them on a weekly basis.

The story is sort-of canon compliant, I have incorporated some elements and characters from the comics, but there's also some characters who are absent because I really didn't know what to make of them or what to do with them, so they're just not here. Hehe. Consider this story to be set in some of my most wishful scenarios for Azula post-comics, where she manages to co-exist with her brother and the Gaang without too much trouble, for reasons explained within the story.

In any case, I hope you enjoy it!

* * *

He took a swig from the drink before slamming down the half-empty glass on the counter. His companion glanced at him, knowing it was the sign of an incoming new rant.

"There's got to be something wrong with me, there's got to be!"

"I'd say there's more wrong with you than just one 'something', but sure. There's something wrong with you, maybe many things wrong with you…"

"I mean, who the hell gets dumped by his girlfriend for someone who's all doom and gloom? I don't get it! I don't get what she sees in him."

"I'm glad you don't. If you did then maybe it would explain why you have trouble keeping women with you, don't you think?"

"Add to this that my fist girlfriend sacrificed herself to become the moon spirit, so I guess I've got the worst luck in love of all time! People will make jokes of me for the rest of history, you know? They'll remember Aang for saving the world, Katara for being a great waterbender, your brother for being the Fire Lord that changed things, Toph for learning to metalbend and me… for losing every single one of my girlfriends, time after time."

"Not the best way to be remembered, is it?"

"Hell, no! This is… embarrassing. Lame. What the hell is it with me, really? Am I that bad a catch?"

"If you ask me, my brother is far worse. At least you're fun company. Him, on the other hand…"

"I know, right? He's just grumpy and upset and takes everything too seriously!"

"Which is probably why he's more compatible with Suki than you. She's not exactly the most fun person in the world, is she?"

"Uh… no. Maybe not. But I thought that was precisely why she liked me."

"And that's why it didn't work out for you, whether you realize it or not. It's one thing for you to be interested in a girl, but it's another thing for you to be interested in a girl who's compatible with you. As far as I can see, you and that Kyoshi Warrior had next to no compatibility."

"W-wait, what?"

"See, you do have terrible luck in love, there's no denying it, but it's not because of bad luck altogether. Perhaps the Water Tribe Princess was your first love, and you lost her under unfair circumstances, but the Kyoshi Warrior wasn't the same as her. When you went to Suki you were looking for safety, stability, but once you found it you took it for granted. She was looking for the same thing, but while you found it in her, she didn't find it in you. She finds it more easily in my brother, whom she sees all the time, than she does in you, whom she sees every… what, six months? So what could you expect but another failed relationship?"

Sokka's jaw dropped as he looked at Azula. She held her head high, the drink in her hand steady, until her eyes flickered towards him and she saw what she could only interpret as affront in his face. Damn it. That was something she wasn't supposed to do anymore.

"U-uh, I didn't mean what I just…" she said, with a grimace. But Sokka shook his head.

"You meant it. Every last word," he said. Azula gritted her teeth.

"Fine. I did. I'm sorry. I'm supposed to lie to make people feel better from time to time, according to Zuzu," she said, shrugging. "He doesn't want me to lie though, but then he does, but not to him, but sometimes I need to lie to him to spare his feelings… it's been torture figuring out when to lie and when not to."

"Is it really?" said Sokka. Azula sighed.

"Look, I didn't want to make you feel worse than you already do. I did warn you that I would make a lousy drinking partner in these circumstances," she said, setting her glass down on the counter.

"Well… you were wrong," said Sokka, turning to look at her sternly.

Azula raised her eyebrows. Her confusion only increased when Sokka's eyes suddenly gleamed with what she thought was, perhaps, hope?

"You're actually the best drinking partner I could've asked for," he said. "I mean… what you just said? That's true! It's why I messed up! I mean, I did think Suki was beautiful and amazing, but maybe we just don't have as many things in common as we should and… we're just not that compatible. That's how it is! And… and you knew it. You knew it!"

"Uh, well, I suspected it, I guess…" said Azula. Sokka smiled, to her surprise.

"How do you know to assess my relationships that easily? It's not like you're some love guru or anything…" he commented. She shrugged.

"No, but I observe people. I always have," she said, picking up her glass again and moving it so the liquid would spin in circles. "It's why I've said I'm a people person. Then again, I have made my wrong assessments before… but if you think I'm right about you, I just might be right about you. I know it's uncomfortable to admit it, but it is how it is."

"Uncomfortable? Eh, sure," said Sokka, shrugging. "But maybe I don't need someone to coddle me tonight. I don't need someone to tell me all sorts of sweet things, I need someone who's as ruthless, inconsiderate and cruel as you!"

"Huh. You're in luck, I guess," said Azula, surprised. Was she still cruel these days? Probably. Was she inconsiderate? Definitely. Ruthless…? Yeah, surely that, too. Sokka was bringing up some of her traits that made most people frown, yet he did it with such enthusiasm and fondness that she couldn't help but wonder if he shared a few of them himself.

"You have a good grasp on my reality because you're not emotionally compromised with it as I am!" Sokka declared, with a wild smile. "You can help me fall in love with the right girl for a change!"

"Huh?" said Azula, raising an eyebrow. "I'm supposed to do what, now?"

"You know, help me out so I can be remembered for my grand accomplishments rather than for my lousy love life?"

"Uh, correct me if I'm wrong, but don't you need to make grand accomplishments first before being acknowledged for them…?"

"H-hey!" Sokka squeaked. Azula smirked. "I have done great things and you know it! I'm the only person who could organize and lead an invasion into the Fire Nation that would have been successful if you hadn't gotten in the way!"

"Exactly: it wasn't successful. How is it a great accomplishment if you failed?" she asked, with a teasing smirk before taking another sip from her glass. Sokka's eyebrow twitched.

"W-well, I took down the airships your father had led to the Earth Kingdom!"

"Correction: Toph and Suki took down the airships my father led to the Earth Kingdom, not you," said Azula, still amused. "You came up with the idea, they executed it."

"Isn't that the mark of a great leader, though?" Sokka asked. "I come up with the strategies, the awesome ideas, and everyone else executes them!"

"Sure, but then you can only call the ideas yours, rather than whatever was accomplished through them," said Azula, smirking.

"Oh? Well, then, you're not the conqueror of Ba Sing Se because you didn't execute every single move of your plan!" Sokka declared, folding his arms over his chest. Azula laughed.

"Of course I am the conqueror. I took hold of the Dai Li by my own power, something you never achieved yourself," she said, proudly. "And I fought the Avatar myself, captured your sister, imprisoned King Kuei… I wasn't merely standing behind some powerful metalbender waiting for her to do everything for me, was I?"

"Y-you…!" said Sokka, lifting a fist before he froze and looked at her blankly. Azula smirked.

"What?"

"You're just trying to piss me off so I decide I don't want you as my love adviser. That's what you're doing," he said, scrutinizing her with a sharp glare. Azula sighed.

"Maybe you're not as stupid as I thought. Well, you've always been the smartest member of your group, no doubt, but here I hoped you wouldn't be able to think clearly tonight," she said, with a smile. "What with the break-up you've had, and now the drinks…"

"It would seem you underestimated me, Princess," said Sokka, smirking now. Azula raised her eyebrows.

"I definitely did. I thought you'd be sadder about it, really," she said. Sokka shrugged.

"Eh, if she's going to be happy with your brother and he's going to give her what she wants, I won't get in their way," he said. "I guess I'm not that great for her after all."

"J-just so you know, though," said Azula, looking at him furtively. "I don't really understand why someone would dump you for my brother, of all people. You're far better company than him, and just as easy to tease…"

"Huh. That's probably the nicest thing you've ever said to me," said Sokka, smiling. Azula sighed.

"I'm just saying you have hopes. You're unlikely to spend the rest of your life alone," she whispered. Much unlike herself.

"Well, thanks for the warming words. See, you're nicer than what most people think!" Sokka said, clapping her shoulder with a hand. Azula cringed at the contact.

"Or maybe the drinks are affecting me and making me nicer than I should be," she grunted, half-heartedly, glaring at her glass.

Sokka chuckled and touched her glass with his own, a pleased grin on his face as he turned on his stool. Azula raised an eyebrow as he sat facing her.

"You'll help me, then? You're a great adviser to Zuko as it is, so…"

"Zuko pays me. What can I expect to gain from this?" Azula asked, raising an eyebrow slowly. Sokka froze.

"U-uh… uh, well. Um… I'll have to think about that. Uh, how about boomerang-throwing lessons, eh?"

Azula snorted. Sokka grimaced. Nope, that wouldn't do.

"Okay, okay, geez, maybe I can see to it that you can leave the Fire Nation and see the rest of the world?" he suggested.

Azula's ears perked at that. Sokka swallowed hard.

They both knew Azula's current circumstances were touchy. She didn't have the best reputation, and was feared and revered throughout the world for her actions during the war and after it. She had become a public menace for a few years, too, until she had helped Zuko dismantle a genuine threat to his rule. She had been granted a pardon after that, but it was only effective in name: Zuko would keep her confined in the Fire Nation Palace, for her own safety.

Azula didn't admit it, but she did feel safe there. It was basically another form of imprisonment, but she was sure it couldn't be worse than the angry mobs she might deal with if she dared set foot on the Earth Kingdom again. She didn't acknowledge her feelings as fear, but she still was reluctant to step out of her comfort zone: doing so with no guarantees of her safety and survival wasn't an appealing prospect to her.

Nevertheless, Azula had rebellious instincts, especially towards people whose authority she refused to acknowledge fully. One of such people was her own brother. What if she left this place and proved, with Sokka's help, that she could fend for herself outside the Fire Nation without an issue? She wouldn't need Zuko's protection anymore. She would be free to settle down elsewhere, somewhere that wouldn't remind her constantly that she had failed where her brother had succeeded. Somewhere that would help her forget her sorrows and stop envying Zuko for obtaining the happiness and triumphs she had dreamt to find for her own life.

So… could she travel with Sokka and his friends, perhaps? Nobody would dare attack her if she was around them, surely. In fact, she didn't know if anyone would want to do it at all: ten years had passed since the war had ended, and while the damage hadn't been repaired fully, maybe she wasn't as much of a despised figure amongst foreigners as she dreaded she would be. If they knew she was helping Zuko now, working as his adviser, they might not be compelled to attack her on sight. Hopefully.

"So? Does your freedom sound like a better offer?" Sokka asked, wiggling his eyebrows as he realized she was considering it. Azula frowned.

"I wouldn't be that free. You'd keep an eye on me. And I'd have to come back here whenever my brother needs me because, let's face it, he wouldn't know how to run this nation without me," said Azula, shrugging and drinking what was left of her glass.

"I'm not hearing a 'no', though," said Sokka, smiling. Azula shrugged.

"I suppose it doesn't sound bad. But I don't see how I'm supposed to help you, not really," she said. "What do you want me to do, give you advice on how to get involved with someone? Because I'll have you know…"

"Nah, I'm perfectly capable of starting a relationship on my own," said Sokka. "What I want you to do is help me figure out if the relationship has any potential or not. And if you have any ideas on someone who might suit me, that'd be great too!"

"Huh," said Azula, raising her eyebrows. "Frankly, I'm at a loss as it is. I can't think of anyone for you."

"Well, don't fret," said Sokka, finishing his own drink. "I'll find someone myself, and when I do, I'll drop by here, or invite you to meet them in Republic City. How about it?"

Azula looked at him with uncertainty but his happy grin was rather reassuring. He was her friend, had been for a few years now. She had especially grown fond of him because, as she had already told him, he was easy to mess with: he had surprised her by showing her, though, that he didn't hold all that teasing against her.

Sokka had been quite grateful for Azula's involvement when she had helped save the Fire Nation, for she had saved his beloved ex-girlfriend too. The Avatar, Sokka and Katara had failed to arrive on time, but fortunately nothing had gone wrong thanks to what Azula had done. With Zuko's pardon, his friends had opened up to her slowly, but the one she got along with the best was Sokka, by far. Katara was still distrusting, Aang was far too busy, and Sokka actually laughed at Azula's jokes, and at her constant pranking of Zuko. He had joined her in several of her pranking attempts, and they had often bonded over being at the receiving end of Zuko's angry rants.

They were also some of the people whose advice he prized the most, that wasn't to be forgotten. Whenever serious problems arose, problems the Avatar had little understanding of, Zuko would always turn to them. Sokka wasn't his full-time adviser as Azula was, but whenever he dropped by at the Fire Nation Palace Zuko would ask for his opinion on political matters he had yet to resolve. It was surprising that Sokka's advice often lined up with Azula's, a fact Zuko had found somewhat disturbing, but the two of them had only taken it as a sign that they were the only people around these parts who had actual common sense.

She wasn't sure she'd feel safe, traveling with him… she had the feeling that, if something messy were to happen, she'd end up being the one who would have to save the both of them. Then again, she really was the best firebender in the world. Despite she didn't want to cause unnecessary trouble, she would unleash her power if she needed to defend herself and her traveling companion. That was something Zuko wouldn't hold against her, wasn't it?

She sure hoped so.

"Well…" she said, shrugging. "Just let me know when you find a new prospect and I'll give you my unbearably honest opinion. Sounds good to you?"

"Sounds perfect to me!" said Sokka, beaming. "I knew you'd be reasonable!"

Azula sighed but smiled a little and nodded. This could be the biggest mistake of her life or the best thing she'd done in forever. Only time would tell which one it would be.

* * *

He was waiting by the city's outskirts, as he had promised he would be on the letter he had sent to her with a messenger hawk. She saw him through the airship's window, and her heart raced as they began descending on the spot that had been cleared for their landing. There was a ridiculous smile on Sokka's face, Azula realized, but the sight of it did little to ease her anxiety.

"Hey there!" he exclaimed happily after the airship had landed, as Azula stepped out into the sunlight with two guards flanking her.

"Hi," she said, unusually coyly. She glanced around herself warily, as if fearing some sort of enemy might pop out of the bushes or so. Sokka patted her shoulder.

"Had a good flight?" he asked. She shrugged.

"It wasn't awful, I guess," she whispered. He beamed.

"Well, you'll be back home soon, so no need to be so tense," he said. "We'll just have a nice lunch and if you want to leave, you'll be free to leave right afterwards!"

"Huh," said Azula, raising an eyebrow. "Why are we having lunch, though? I thought, given the message you sent me, that you wanted my advice…?"

"Of course I do," said Sokka, grinning. "But first I need you to meet someone, and you'll do that over lunch!"

"Wait, what?!" Azula exclaimed. "No, no, no, I didn't sign up for meeting anyone! I'm supposed to tell you whether your relationships have future or not, not to meet with your girlfriends!"

"Uh, really?" said Sokka, blinking blankly. "But didn't you say you figured out things weren't going to work with me and Suki because of your observation skills?"

"W-well, yes, but…"

"Then you'll need to observe my next relationships too to help me!" Sokka declared, grinning. He turned to the soldiers now, who looked at him with uncertainty. "You guys can wait here. She'll be fine with me, I promise!"

The soldiers glanced at each other with uncertainty but nodded. Their job had been to escort the Princess, but she was somewhat terrifying and they doubted she'd need them too badly. They were probably better off taking a step back and leaving her to the Water Tribesman's care.

Sokka clasped Azula's shoulder and led her towards the road that would guide them to the city. She walked somewhat uneasily, glancing about herself to make sure nothing would happen. Sokka smiled.

"Relax. Nobody will attack you around here, nobody should. Republic City is a place for new beginnings for everyone, you see…"

"I've heard that's its catchphrase. Funny idea, opening a city for people from all over the world to live in. Are you sure that's a wise thought?" she asked. Sokka shrugged.

"It's the Avatar's thought, not mine," he said. "I'm just in for the ride. It could be a way to start teaching people to get over their differences, don't you think?"

"Only if it works out for the best," said Azula. "Which might not be how it'll go. Water Tribe and Earth Kingdom people might be able to live together, but when you add Fire Nation people to the mix…"

"You know, most people living in Republic City right now are Fire Nation citizens," said Sokka, raising his eyebrows. "Came from those colonies Zuko took down back then, remember?"

"Huh. Well, they might feel at peace around these parts," said Azula, shrugging. "But someone like me…?"

"You don't have to feel at peace here, you know," said Sokka, smiling. "You can stay in your Palace if you feel better there. But I do think you might be surprised. People aren't quite as awful as you might expect them to be."

Azula didn't believe him right away, but it was hard to deny his words when they entered the city without any trouble. Passersby barely noticed them, and those who did see them didn't seem to care about who she was regardless.

Republic City wasn't particularly remarkable as of now, though. It was a small city, with a few tall buildings, but it didn't make a great impression on Azula as it was. Still, it wasn't as hostile towards her as she had dreaded it might be. Even if it wasn't a particularly remarkable location, at least she wasn't being pelted by insults and death threats…

Sokka started by giving her a tour of the major locations of the city, and Azula followed him dutifully wherever they went, her golden eyes glaring and analyzing everything in sight. She didn't think she'd be moving in here anytime soon, but it wasn't a bad place altogether, she concluded.

At last, they reached the establishment where they'd have lunch. Sokka led her inside gallantly, and he pulled out a chair for her once they reached an empty table.

"So, we're going to wait for your mystery date now?" Azula asked, as he sat across her.

"Yeah, she should be here soon. I hope," he said. Azula raised her eyebrows.

"Who is she? Do I know her?" she asked.

"Uh, no," said Sokka. Azula seemed genuinely surprised by that. "Why? You thought it was someone you knew? Like who?"

"I don't know, maybe your blind friend. You two always seemed rather close," said Azula. Sokka stiffened.

"What, Toph? Really?" he asked, blinking blankly. Azula shrugged. "You expected me to get involved with her? Why?"

"Well, didn't she use to like you?" Azula asked, raising an eyebrow. "And you get along quite well, so why not?"

"Why not? Well… I don't know, actually," he said, blinking blankly. "To tell you the truth, the thought hadn't occurred to me until just now."

"Huh. No wonder you can't get romance right, Wolf Boy," said Azula, with a smirk. Sokka blushed.

"H-hey…!" he snapped, just as he felt a hand on his shoulder.

Sokka's outburst stopped before it began when he noticed the latest arrival was here. He turned his head around and stood up, smiling at the dark-haired girl behind him.

"Ah, great! You made it!" he exclaimed. The girl smiled awkwardly.

"Y-yeah, I… I did. But I thought we were going to…" she said, looking at Azula with uncertainty. Sokka glanced from one to the other a few times before extending a hand towards the chair next to his.

"Have a seat, Niyok," he said, beaming. The girl eyed Azula before sitting down, unsure as to who she was and why she was studying her with her gaze so intently…

"Uh, who's this…?" Niyok asked, raising her eyebrows and pointing at Azula.

"It's rude to point at someone like that, you know?" said Azula, raising her eyebrow judgmentally. The girl recoiled.

"S-sorry…"

"This is a good friend of mine," said Sokka, smiling as he sat down again. "She's visiting the city for the first time, so I figured I'd have her join us for lunch. You don't mind, do you?"

"Uh, no, but I just…" said Niyok, looking at Sokka wistfully. Azula had to hold back the urge to snort.

"Truth be told, Sokka, maybe it's not that appropriate to invite a friend over for lunch when you were supposed to go out with your girlfriend…"

When Sokka flinched and Niyok blushed at her use of the word, Azula frowned. Sokka gulped.

"W-well, I don't think we're quite… that," said Niyok, looking at Sokka shyly. He grimaced as Azula raised an eyebrow.

"You're not? So you're not dating?" she asked. "Or…?"

Again she had to hold back the urge to snort: this was their first date, and Sokka had decided to bring her to it. The odds were already awful for him and this girl, and they barely had a relationship to begin with.

"Well, not really, not just yet," said Sokka, gulping.

"We're on our way there," said Niyok, smiling at Sokka. "Right?"

"I see. And how did you two meet, if I may ask?" Azula said, glancing at Sokka in confusion. Niyok answered.

"Well, we knew each other from a long time ago. I'm from the Southern Water Tribe too," said the girl. Azula hummed with apparent interest. "We met again a few years ago after a crisis at a refinery, where Sokka helped me and my sister…"

"Interesting. As ever, playing the hero," said Azula, with a smirk. Sokka chuckled.

"Hey, what can I say? It's my thing, apparently," he said. Azula shook her head. Niyok glanced from one to the other with uncertainty.

"So, why were you at this refinery?" Azula asked her.

"I used to work there. I've switched to working in an easier establishment, though," she said. "I'm working at the city's nursery these days, helping take care of small children…"

"Huh," said Azula, raising her eyebrows. "So you're all about work, aren't you?"

"Well, it's important to provide for your family. It's what I've always thought," said Niyok.

"Do you have any bigger aspirations than this?" Azula asked. "Any dreams, or goals…?"

"I… don't know," said Niyok, grimacing with uncertainty. What was it with this girl and her relentless questioning? "I can't think of any right now, but…"

"That's fine," said Azula, with a sigh of resignation. "You are, uh, a very grounded person. Humble."

"I… thanks?" said Niyok.

Sokka smiled awkwardly as a waiter approached to take their order, and they conveyed it to him quickly. Something told Sokka that Niyok wasn't about to pass Azula's test… So far the Princess looked utterly unimpressed by her.

"So, why did you come here?" Niyok asked once the waiter had left, giving Azula the friendliest smile she could muster. "You look Fire Nation, are you going to move into the city?"

"Oh, no. None of that. Sokka just asked me to come," Azula said, simply. Niyok raised her eyebrows. "I suspect his life grows unbearably bleak when he doesn't have someone to annoy him and mock him whenever he does anything stupid. Which is surprisingly often, I'll add…"

"Hey!" Sokka complained, pouting. "I'm perfectly fine without having anyone annoying me, I'll have you know, Azula!"

"Yeah, that's… that's mean," said Niyok, looking at Azula with uncertainty.

"Oh?" said Azula. The dangerous voice tone of the Princess's made both Sokka and Niyok recoil. Clearly she wasn't about to accept being berated by the Water Tribe girl… "Well, a job well done, isn't it? Considering I actually did want to sound mean."

"You did?" said Niyok, staring at her in disbelief. Azula smirked.

"Eh, that's what Azula tends to be like, don't take it to-…" Sokka started, but the girl's hands flew to her mouth.

"Azula. Azula, you said?!" she exclaimed, jumping on her chair and pulling away from the Princess, a look of horror in her eyes.

"Ah. I guess I forgot to introduce myself, did I?" said Azula, with a smirk. "Yes, Sokka happens to be closely associated to the Fire Nation Royal Family. Too closely, some would say…"

"T-too closely…?" Niyok repeated, with a horrified grimace. Sokka froze.

"W-what the hell are you saying, Azula? Don't say stuff she'll misunderstand!" he exclaimed. Azula raised her eyebrows.

"What? Misunderstand how? I'm only telling the truth," she said, with a pleased smirk. "You're a good friend of Zuko's, aren't you?"

"I… I am, but still! You made it sound as if…" Sokka started, grimacing with uncertainty. Azula looked at him with expectation.

"As if what?" she asked, amused. "As if you were intimately, closely involved with someone high up in the Fire Nation's highest circles…?"

"I…!" Sokka exclaimed, blushing deeply. Niyok looked at him with disbelief.

"You're involved with her? You are?! Why didn't you tell me that before…?!" Niyok exclaimed. Sokka gritted his teeth and inched away from her.

"I'm not! I really am not!" Sokka exclaimed. Azula sighed.

"Such sad lies. My heart is broken, not only that you'd lie but that you'd do it so poorly," she said, dramatically. "And here I was, willing to have a threesome since you'd asked so nicely…"

Niyok's indignation exploded with that, to no one's surprise. She stood up, glaring angrily at Sokka.

"You jerk! And I thought you were a good man!" she exclaimed. Sokka's eyes were wide.

"No, no, don't listen to her, she's just…!" he started, but Niyok had dumped the content of a glass of water on Sokka's face before he could finish talking.

"I can't believe I agreed to go out with you!" She slammed the glass on the table before storming off angrily, her mind firmly set on never seeing him again.

The door to the establishment closed and Sokka remained in the same position, his eyes closed, his hands halfway stretched towards where Niyok had stood, his eyebrow twitching as the droplets of water slid slowly down his face. He only moved when he heard the unequivocal sound of laughter coming from his remaining companion, and he glared viciously at her for it.

"That was just wonderful, seriously, Azula!" he exclaimed. Azula only continued to laugh. "What the hell, woman?! Are you kidding me?!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, it's just too amusing. I really didn't think she'd throw water at you!" she confessed, chuckling as she handed him her napkin. Sokka accepted it angrily, snarling at her before wiping his face with it.

"Why did you lie like that, Azula? Seriously, what the hell?!" he asked. She smiled.

"Sokka, you blew it," she said, shaking her head. "I thought you wanted me to meet a girl you were fully established with already. And yet… this is was your first date? Really?"

"W-well, I thought I'd ask you to come by so I'd know whether I was wasting my time with her or not," said Sokka, with a sad grimace and a light blush. Azula snorted.

"And just by making such a foolish decision you damned the relationship all on your own," she said. "You can't bring someone else with you on your first date, Sokka, for crying out loud."

"I just thought having a quick diagnosis would help me not get my hopes up," he said, pouting again. "And really, it did. That was the fastest I've lost a girl, and that's saying something."

"You need to be smarter than this," said Azula, shaking her head. "And you also need to stop choosing girls like her: she was basically a Water Tribe version of Suki; heck, Suki is even more ambitious than her, and she's not ambitious at all."

"Wait, you really think she was similar to Suki?" Sokka asked, his eyes wide. "How so?"

"How? Evidently, I know because she's yet again your typical stability-providing girl instead of someone you truly can bond with in every level," said Azula, crossing her arms over her chest. "She wouldn't be a challenge to you, and you know what I think? You would have been bored with her eventually. You wouldn't need to be around her, you'd just visit her once in a blue moon like you would with Suki, and then you'd be at a loss when she ends up in the arms of some other guy who's head-over-heels in love with her."

"Wait, but… you think I couldn't grow to love her?" Sokka asked. Azula shrugged.

"I don't see enough compatibility there to make a lasting relationship," she said. "She'd adore you at first, surely, you're the local hero for her, right? But when she realized she was just that girl on the side that you visit when you don't have anything better to do, she would have probably broken things off with you and you would have ended up in a worse state than you already are."

"But you're so sure of that…" said Sokka, pouting. "You really think I couldn't have something good with her?"

"See, that's the problem," said Azula, smiling. "Are you looking for something good, or are you looking for something extraordinary? Are you looking for a girl whose hand to hold while you walk down the street, or for a girl with whom you can spend your entire life without ever being bored?"

"Uh, how about if I choose all prior options?" Sokka asked, smiling awkwardly. Azula chuckled.

"Well, even if you choose them all, I'm afraid that girl wasn't going to cut it. Imagine marrying her, starting a family with her: she'd be at home with the children, you'd be at work all day, and you'd be stuck in some lousy routine you'd hate because it's just the same thing, every single day, and a man who fought a war, who claims to be the smartest of the Avatar's friends, could never settle into such a boring lifestyle, or could he?"

"Eh, I guess not, but would it be that boring?" Sokka asked, raising his eyebrows. "I do want to start a family, and I think I'd have to keep a job for it… would my life become that boring if I do that?"

"Possibly," said Azula. "But especially so if you settle down with someone who does next to nothing for you. Remember how excited you were back when you fell in love with your Water Tribe Princess?"

"Yeah, I remember," said Sokka, with a sad smile.

"You won't find anyone else like her, that's for sure," said Azula. "But the feelings you had for her were true and strong, weren't they?"

"Of course," said Sokka.

"Well, your job will be to find a girl with whom you can feel as alive as you did with her," said Azula. "If you can have fun with her, laugh with her, and if you want to be around her instead of just seeing her once in a blue moon when you want company, then you'll know you found the right partner."

"And, uh… you think I can find that in Toph?" Sokka asked, raising his eyebrows. Azula shrugged.

"It wouldn't hurt to try, or would it?" she asked. Sokka shrugged.

"I suppose. But moving past being friends is probably going to be awkward," he said, with a weak smile. "It worked for Katara and Aang because he was obviously infatuated with her since day one, I think."

"Then there you have it. A challenge," said Azula. "We're not too different in these regards, Sokka. The idea of a simple life only sounds appealing for a couple of minutes. You thrive in the feeling of making a difference in the world, don't you?"

Sokka gulped and shrugged. Azula smiled.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of," she said. "Being ambitious doesn't have to be a bad thing."

"It tends to be when I'm the ambitious one, though," said Sokka, smiling awkwardly. "Things backfire on me all the time, so if I want something too much it'll definitely bite me back later."

"But you can't really help it, can you? Wanting certain things," said Azula. Sokka shook his head.

"Yeah, I guess it's my irrational, compulsory side that won't let me stop myself," he said, with a sigh. "Oh, well. If you really think Toph might be the way to go, we can go meet her later. But first…"

The waiter had returned, placing the dishes on the table carefully. Only after setting them down did he notice the table was short of one person since he'd last seen them, and that the young man's hair was wet for some reason.

"Uh, is everything okay…?" he asked. Sokka smiled and nodded.

"Yep, there's no problem at all. Not at all," he said, looking at the food with glee.

"I suppose I needn't even ask if you'll eat Niyok's lunch on top of your own," said Azula, with a smirk. Sokka grinned.

"You know me so well," he said, rubbing his hands together before digging in.

It took almost an hour for them to finish with their food, but eventually Sokka wiped his mouth, sated at last, and they left the restaurant after he had paid for the meal. Azula followed him again as they walked through the city, and she was surprised as they went further yet, leaving the urban area altogether.

"Where is she living now?" Azula asked, confused. "Is she finally playing the hermit? The role would suit her."

"Nah, she's actually training a group of earthbenders," said Sokka, smiling. "She's teaching them how to metalbend, or trying to, if anything."

"It sounds like a skill that's difficult to develop," Azula said. "Somewhat like lightning bending. I wouldn't expect many common earthbenders to be capable of it like she is."

"Say that to her face and she'll love you forever. Toph loves to hear people complimenting her skills," said Sokka, smiling.

"Who doesn't?" said Azula, shrugging. Sokka chuckled.

"Sadly I don't think she'll return the favor. But at least I can say your blue fire is rather impressive as well," he said. Azula raised an eyebrow.

"Impressive or scary?" she asked. Sokka shrugged.

"I don't know, but you know what? I find it funny because it's blue. I mean… blue is not the Fire Nation's color at all," he said, chuckling. "And yet your fire is blue! It's like… Water Tribe fire, know what I mean?"

He only realized his words would carry an awful effect with them when he noticed Azula was staring at him in chagrin. Oh, dear. What had he done?

"Water Tribe fire? Are you kidding me?!" she bellowed. "My fire is…! My fire is…! It's not Water Tribe, that's for sure, you fool!"

"W-well, I didn't say it was, I just meant it has a pretty color!" Sokka exclaimed, but his compliment did nothing to appease Azula's horror. For she had heard his words and, despite herself, had realized there was an awful truth to them: her fire was blue, and blue wasn't the Fire Nation's color indeed…

"I'm never going to bend again," she said, shaking her head as she continued walking, her eyes wide with horror. Sokka gulped.

"Heh. I should've said this back during the war, eh? Would have spared us from your super powerful attacks once in a while…" he said. His playful comment still didn't sound too playful to her, though, for Azula only groaned with irritation.

They walked in awkward silence briefly, with Sokka's insides churning with guilt. She was definitely not happy, and he had a pretty good idea why. He needed to make it up to her somehow, but he wasn't sure if there was a way to do that. Maybe he should wear Fire Nation clothes whenever they met? Craft himself a Fire Nation-style boomerang? He had no idea what to do, and had the bad feeling the Princess wasn't about to get over it unless he did something indeed…

"Uh, well, we're here now," said Sokka, gulping. "It's right up ahead."

He pointed at a building, and Azula scowled as she gazed at it. Surely it wasn't the building's fault that she would be in the mood to glare, but she glared indeed as the two of them walked towards it.

"Still sure this is a good idea?" Sokka asked once more. Azula shrugged.

"I suppose we'll find out soon enough, won't we?" she said.

They heard the distinct fighting cries of young students as they entered the building, and heard the sounds of metal clashing against metal. It seemed the new students were getting a grasp on metalbending. Sokka smiled, guessing Toph would still act disappointed by their prowess, despite being rather proud of them.

"Come on, you Lily Livers! Is that the best you can do?!" shouted Toph, her voice echoing through the hallways Azula and Sokka were treading. Nervous mumbling followed. "Do it again, faster!"

"She's ruthless, isn't she?" said Azula, with a small smirk. Sokka raised an eyebrow.

"Like you'd be any nicer if you were a teacher," he said, smiling. She shrugged.

"You have a point," she conceded, as they stopped at the threshold of the building's main hall.

The group of metalbending students were struggling to bend what looked like shields and armor at one another. At first Sokka thought it was a dueling exercise, but he realized soon that Toph's intent was to have them toss the armor and shields at one another as quickly as possible. The more nervous students would often lose control, and their metal would crash into that of the other students, producing the loud noise they had heard from outside.

"Damn it, you guys are hopeless! Can't control a little bit of metal even if you…!" Toph was bellowing, but she stopped shouting when she sensed the new arrivals. Normally she would have noticed them sooner, but she had been so focused on her students that their appearance had slipped past her until now. "Well, if it isn't Meathead and Spicy! Now that's a messed up combination if I've ever sensed one!"

"Yeah, well, I'm glad to see you too, Toph," said Sokka, with a skeptical smile. Toph raised her eyebrows.

"Well, I dunno who else is seeing something, because I sure am not, Sokka," she said, smirking before turning to her students. "Take a break! And you'd better be able to follow my commands when we get back to it!"

The students seemed disheartened, albeit relieved for the small break. Toph turned towards them, smiling broadly.

"Odd that you'd pay me a visit, Spicy," she said. "Missed me much?"

"Oh, don't I always," Azula replied sarcastically. Toph snickered, and Azula smirked. Truth be told, they had found they could get along far more easily than Azula did with almost everyone else from the Avatar's close group, despite they weren't around one another often.

"Is something the matter, though? Does Aang need me to save his hide again for some reason?" she asked. "Or is it something else now?"

"Well, we were just dropping by, actually," said Sokka, smiling. "I managed to convince Azula to let me show her the city, and I figured we could come see you."

"So you're out and about now, discovering the world? Not bad," said Toph. "Congrats, Princess. If you're anything like me, your freedom will only do wonders for you!"

"It might, but frankly I don't expect to find myself becoming a teacher of subpar benders," said Azula, with a proud smirk. Toph snorted.

"You would want to be if you realized how gratifying it is to yell at someone who's totally terrified of you," she said, smirking too.

"Yeah, basically the only reason she likes teaching is that she gets to boss her students around," said Sokka, smiling.

"Though I guess there's other ways I could boss people around and not just by teaching…" Toph reasoned, before shrugging. "Still, is there anything important you want from me, or can I just finish the lesson?"

"Uh, yeah, go ahead and finish it," said Sokka, gulping. "We didn't want to be a bother."

"Ah, alright then. Stay for dinner?" Toph asked. Azula shrugged.

"We did eat just now, but you know how he is," she said, jerking her head towards Sokka. He blushed as Toph chuckled.

"Damn right I do. Sokka and his bottomless pit of a stomach," she said, laughing as she returned to her students. "Look alive, Lily Livers! Back to work!"

Sokka released his breath, wondering just why he felt so nervous. Azula looked at him with uncertainty, wondering just why he was so anxious. Was he thrilled by the prospect of a relationship with Toph, or was it he was terrified of the potential outcome of it all?

"Are you alright?" she asked. Sokka gulped.

"I don't know. I mean… maybe it's all because of the things you've said, I always go for girls who feel stable and safe, and I'm just used to that," he muttered. "So the idea of starting something different is just a little bit daunting. Feels like I'll be out of my depth, you know?"

"I suppose you might be," she replied. "And… you're scared, to a fault?"

"Yeah, probably that too. We're good friends, and if this went sideways, well…" said Sokka, swallowing hard. Azula nodded.

"You're afraid of what could go wrong, so much you don't know how to think of what could go right," she said. Sokka shrugged.

"Must be that, yeah," he said. "But we're here already, so I should give this a go, right?"

"I'll give you two some privacy once she's done with her lessons," she said. Sokka smiled.

"Thanks. Would be extra-awkward if I tried to tell her in front of you," he said. Azula shrugged.

"If you need any help I'm always up for it, just as I was with Niyok…"

"Uh, I'm pretty sure the last thing you did back there was help," Sokka said, with a smirk. Azula widened her eyes and smiled sarcastically.

"Well, whatever do you mean by that…?" she said, and Sokka chuckled.

"You're out of this world, you know that?" he said. Azula smirked.

"Careful, Sokka. Keep complimenting me that way and I'll just take you for myself," she said. He snorted.

"Here I was wondering when you'd finally admit that's what you want," he said, teasingly. Azula laughed.

"Aren't you awfully high on yourself all of sudden," she replied. He shrugged.

"If I have reason to be…" he said. Azula smiled at him.

Watching Toph's training proved a bit more dangerous than they expected. Metallic projectiles flew all over the room, forcing Azula and Sokka to be on their guard at all times. Sokka had to pull her out of the trajectory of a fast-spinning coin that came soaring in their direction, and Azula had no choice but to bend at a set of deformed armor that also flew at them. Sokka could only whisper 'thank you' after she managed to keep him alive with her quick response against the armor.

Toph was rather amused when the training ended and the students went home. She wasn't sure who was more relieved by the end of the lessons, her Lily Livers or her visiting friends.

"I thought you two were made of something stronger than that!" she declared, after Sokka went on a rant, asking if she had been trying to kill them.

"We must be, or else we'd already be dead!" Sokka exclaimed. Toph only laughed as Azula rolled her eyes.

"You're a hazard, you know that?" she told Toph, who shrugged.

"I make people's lives more fun, don't I?" she said, beaming.

"Huh, well… maybe some people's lives," Azula said, glancing at Sokka. He swallowed hard as she asked him, through her gaze, if he was ready. He gulped.

"Come on, Spicy, you know we're both fun that way!" said Toph, starting to walk outside the training room. Sokka breathed deeply as he watched her go.

"It's a bit hard to do this after she almost killed us," he whispered. Azula shook her head.

"Better now than never. Come on," she said, ushering him to follow Toph as they both left the room behind her.

"Anyways, as promised, I'll have to feed you to stop your whining, huh, Sokka?" said Toph, once they caught up with her.

"Yep, you have to pay us back with food for all that," said Sokka. "But, uh, Toph? If you don't mind, uh, I'd like to talk to you about some-…"

Toph stopped on her tracks, a large smile on her face. Both Azula and Sokka stopped as well, unsure of what had brought this reaction from her. Was she aware of what Sokka was going to say, or…?

The sound of footsteps coming from the hall before them surprised the two guests. The owner of said footsteps came to light as he turned the corner, and while he was a complete stranger to Azula, Sokka recognized him right away.

"I just finished the accounting for this month's income, Toph, and…!" the young, tall man with curly hair exclaimed, but he stopped on his tracks when he noticed the blind earthbender wasn't alone. "O-oh, Sokka! And, uh…"

"Princess Azula," said Azula, raising her eyebrows as she looked at the stranger in confusion. "And you are…?"

"That's Satoru. He's Toph's business associate," Sokka explained, as Toph made her way towards him. "We met him some years ago, when he was working at his uncle's refinery. Him and Toph are good…"

Sokka stopped talking just as Toph threw her arms around Satoru's neck and pulled him down for a kiss.

Azula's eyes widened, all the same as Sokka's. The tall man was somewhat embarrassed, but he kissed Toph back regardless, a noticeable blush on his cheeks.

"G-good… friends?" Sokka finished, blinking blankly.

"Uh, I guess you didn't tell them yet, did you?" Satoru said, with a weak grin. Toph chuckled.

"Come on, we've been at this for barely a few weeks, it's fine if I haven't told everyone I know yet. It's been a while since Sokka last dropped by, too," she said, before turning towards them with a smirk. "Besides, Sokka spent years giving me oogies, so I'm happy to return the favor now!"

With that, she grabbed Satoru again and kissed him fiercely once more. Sokka was petrified, his eyes wide, his hands trembling. Azula looked at him worriedly, realizing she had made a big blunder. She had filled Sokka's mind with ideas that Toph might just turn out to be his ideal partner… and now he was watching said ideal partner sticking her tongue down her business associate's throat. She wasn't sure if Sokka was emotionally compromised by it, or if he was just too shocked to respond to the situation altogether.

"Alright, so! Do we have enough food for them?" Toph said, when she pulled away from Satoru. He had a big smile on his face, his eyes set dreamily on the earthbender.

"I-I, uh… hope so," he said, smiling still. "I'll go check. We're all having dinner together, then?"

"That was the plan," said Toph, as she started down the hall with Satoru. When she noticed the other two hadn't moved she called out over her shoulder. "You guys coming or what?"

"Y-yeah, we're right behind you," Azula said, as Satoru and Toph turned the corner. She swallowed hard and looked at Sokka. "Are you okay?"

"I'm, uh… not sure what's going on, actually," he said, his eyes wide. "I mean, I did see they were a bit close, but I didn't expect them to get together… let alone did I expect it to happen just as I made up my mind to try my luck with Toph. This is… weird."

"I'm sorry," said Azula, grimacing. "I didn't think something like this would happen."

"You had no way of knowing," said Sokka, smiling a little at her and patting her shoulder. "Don't worry, don't worry. I'm sure… I'm sure we'll figure something else out. Maybe we even dodged a bullet here? Might be good that Toph is with someone who was seriously in love with her from the get-go instead of someone who was just trying his luck in hopes he might fall in love with her one day. Right?"

"I guess," said Azula. Sokka breathed out and nodded.

"I'm okay. I'm okay. Dinner time," he said, smiling again and ushering her to walk with him. "We'll just ask how it happened, and if it's all great, we'll… we'll let them know we're happy for them. Right?"

"Are you?" Azula asked. Sokka shrugged.

"I don't really know right now. But if they make each other happy, like Suki and your brother… then I have no complaints," he said, nodding promptly as they walked towards the dining room.

Sokka's words made Azula frown. Was he really that selfless, that kind-hearted? It seemed like he was. When he loved someone, he wanted them to be happy rather than wanting them for himself. It was an odd concept to Azula, one she guessed she had only read about before… but maybe that was what love really meant. Maybe that was what it was supposed to be.

"Come on, now, you're no prude, what's the big deal?" said Toph, resting against Satoru after they made the recollection of how they ended up in bed for the first time. Sokka had told them he didn't need so many details, but Toph had insisted and left him potentially scarred for life, given his wide eyes and apparent loss of appetite.

"The big deal is that I didn't ask for a full recount!" Sokka exclaimed. Toph snorted.

"Well, you asked how it happened, I told you. That's all it was," she said. Satoru chuckled.

"Sorry. I know it must be awkward…" he said. Sokka grimaced.

"Quite," he replied. Toph chuckled.

"Come on, I had to tolerate hearing your every awful sound when you were with Suki several times, you know?"

"So this was revenge? That's what it was?" Sokka asked, an eyebrow twitching. Toph nodded.

"Damn right it was!" she declared. Sokka dropped his head on the table.

"You're unbelievable," he said. Toph smiled.

"Well, now, if you want to get back at me you can go ahead and share your own story," she said. Sokka lifted his head, confused.

"What story? How Suki and I broke up?" he asked. "I already told you that when I returned from the Fire Nation a couple of months ago, didn't I?"

"Not that one, Meathead. I mean the new one. Your story," she said, pointing at Sokka and Azula.

They both stiffened. Had she noticed what they'd been up to?

"W-what do you mean, our story?" Azula asked, looking at Toph warily.

"What else? How did you two end up entangled?" she asked. "Did you rebound on Azula so you could take revenge on Zuko for stealing Suki?"

"What the…?! No!" Sokka exclaimed, as both him and Azula blushed wildly. "Of course not!"

"Oh, so you guys are serious and this isn't just a momentary thing? Nice," said Toph, nodding. "You'll make a good pair."

"What on earth are you talking about?!" Azula exclaimed. "We're not together!"

"What, you're not?" Toph asked, raising an eyebrow. "How come?"

"What does that mean, how come? We aren't together, that's just how it is!" Sokka said. "I just offered to bring her here, it's not like I did it as a scheme to end up in bed with her or something!"

"Well, maybe she did it as a scheme to end up in bed with you, eh?" said Toph, smirking. Azula's blush intensified as she snarled at Toph.

"As if!" she exclaimed. Toph chuckled.

"Oh, come on, you can't act like nothing's going on!" she said. "What with all the stuff you were whispering about how Sokka had to tell me something…"

They both froze at that. How had they been so foolish as to forget that Toph's seismic sense would enable her to hear their conversations easily?

"I was dead sure it had to be about you two," she finished. "And really, seeing how you keep flirting as you do, you might as well stop kidding yourselves and get going already. Satoru and I were wasting time for a while, so you two can avoid that and accept what you want already. Right?"

"R-right?" said Sokka, glancing at Azula warily. Her eyes were wide.

"I'm pretty sure you don't understand what's going on here, Toph…" she said, but before she finished explaining, Sokka gave her a meaningful look. Azula froze as he basically implied to her that she was better off keeping her mouth shut. She gritted her teeth.

"I bet I don't but that's fine too," said Toph, smiling. "You're like me, Spicy. You don't strike me as the type who wants something totally conventional and boring like what Katara and Aang have. So don't worry, you're free to have a weird relationship that only you two understand. I'm fine with it."

"Heh. Y-you are, of course," said Sokka, with an eyebrow twitching. Toph chuckled.

"Really, though, you two are something else," she said. "Going for Azula is perfect revenge on Zuko, you know? You're the most wicked masterminds I've ever heard of…"

"Sounds like they are," said Satoru, with a weak smile. "A fearsome combination, huh?"

Sokka and Azula glanced at each other in confusion. Those two couldn't be serious, right? The two of them, in a relationship?

It wasn't something they had actually given any thought until just now. Even though Azula had pretended to be Sokka's girlfriend to chase Niyok away, and even though they had flirted playfully earlier, it wasn't something they had taken seriously. Then again, Sokka was bringing Azula out of her home to see the world and feel at ease with what it had become: something like that had been easily misunderstood by Toph as a sign of them being involved. And why wouldn't it be? It definitely could be taken for a sign of a possible relationship, especially after Sokka and Suki had broken up. The idea of Sokka hopping headfirst into a rebound romance with Azula didn't seem so far-fetched…

But that wasn't what was happening. They hadn't considered that possibility until then.

Fortunately, the conversation topics changed after the awkward exchange regarding Sokka and Azula's alleged romance, and they managed to get though dinner without further trouble. Toph and Satoru saw them off, and Azula and Sokka made their way back to the city through the dark roads, with Azula's fire lighting the way.

"I seriously didn't expect things to end up like they did," said Azula, looking at Sokka warily. He waved a hand.

"If you'd been around me for longer you'd know my luck loves to mess with me," he said, smiling. "Don't take it to heart, it's not your fault. Heck, you were actually trying to help me, so I'm grateful. There's nothing we could do, though, not when Toph's with him now. And they look alright together, don't they?"

"I guess," said Azula, shrugging. "But what about you? If you keep letting all girls you care about end up choosing other men because you think they'll be happier that way…"

"See, maybe I'm just a romantic," said Sokka. "But I'm guessing the day will come when I'll meet a girl who won't want to choose another man, or who won't sacrifice herself to save the world – or, if she does, she'll survive somehow and we'll be happy later anyways. See, I just want… to be someone's first and best choice for once, not someone they'll settle for when there's something better just around the corner."

Azula looked at him in surprise, noticing the pain in his eyes as he spoke. Were his words hints of a troubled past, of hardships he had swallowed and bottled up deep inside him… just like the many hardships Azula herself had bottled up inside her?

"Has that happened to you a lot?" she asked. "I mean… feeling like you're just someone others settle for, rather than someone who's appreciated for his real worth?"

"Eh, a few times. Then again, that's apparently what I'm doing too, isn't it?" said Sokka, smiling at her. "If your assessment for why my relationships keep failing is correct, I'm doing the exact same thing because I don't dare go for someone I have truly deep feelings for. I guess it's probably because I went for someone I was crazy in love with, and it ended before it even began…"

"You mean with the Northern Water Tribe Princess?" Azula asked. Sokka nodded.

"If just to avoid feeling the same pain I keep going for easier routes. Maybe it's also because… I'm the one others settle for, right? So maybe I should end up with someone who's like me."

"See… I don't think you have a good understanding of yourself," said Azula, looking at him from the corner of her eye. Sokka raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Well, I don't know about your past, at least not before the war, but you were by far the most outstanding member of your group for me," she said. Sokka snorted.

"What, me? Compared to my waterbending sister?"

"She was irksome, that's all she was," Azula said, waving a hand carelessly. Sokka chuckled.

"More than the Avatar?"

"A mere child with too much talent for his own good," Azula declared. Sokka laughed.

"Same for Toph?" he asked. She nodded.

"Though she's a smart-mouth too, that can't be denied," she said.

"What about your brother?"

"He's just my brother. Stubborn, foolish, self-righteous and overly dramatic. And a sub-par bender like Toph's students," she added. Sokka laughed.

"Don't let him hear you say that, he'll probably lash out at you," he said, Azula smirked. "But then… you really think I stood out, when they didn't impress you at all?"

"Of course. You always were the less threatening one, the one who stood at the sidelines, the one without the flashy powers and overflowing confidence in his skills. And even when you got your sword, and had a chance to finish me off with it, you didn't take it. When you knew I was taunting you, you still fell for it because you're a good man, with deep emotions. And none of that stopped you from plotting an invasion, from developing all sorts of tactics to defeat my father's forces. You were the brains in your group, and an accomplished warrior, too. Not in vain did I bother learning your name first before the rest of them…"

"Heh, it's true you did call me by name," said Sokka, smirking. "And you also had to deflect my boomerang first when we attacked you that one time, when we had cornered you…"

"I couldn't only focus on everyone else, and yours was the sharper and fastest attack," Azula said. "So naturally, I had to take out your boomerang first."

"Well, that's all very flattering, Azula. You do know how to cheer a guy up," he said, beaming before scowling. "Though, wait. You did say that you didn't credit the Invasion to me a couple of months ago, didn't you?"

"I did, but I really didn't mean it. I was trying to annoy you," she answered truthfully, smiling at him. Sokka chuckled.

"Well, you succeeded," he said. She laughed.

"Glad to hear it," she said. "Still… don't assume you're someone others settle for. You aren't. Your group needed you more than they ever realized: they would have never achieved all they did without you. They just never told you, is all."

"I guess," said Sokka. "You're awfully wise, though, you know? And it's strange that you'd share all that wisdom with me, of all people."

"Who else would I share it with? You are one of the few people who bothers talking to me at all," she said. "Aside from my brother and your friends, of course. And you and Toph are probably the only ones who enjoy having me around, to begin with. So…"

"It's everyone else's loss, then!" Sokka declared, his arms behind his head. "You're a pretty cool girl, you know. Once you get past all the crazy stuff we all did in the middle of a war, it gets a bit easier to see we were just kids, and that we can move on from the war indeed."

"Not everyone thinks that way, though," said Azula. Sokka shook his head.

"No, they don't. But they should. If I hadn't given you a chance I wouldn't have made a new friend, so I don't regret opening my mind to the possibilities at all," he said, smiling at her.

Azula smiled too, eyeing him with amazement.

"You're a very weird guy," she said. Sokka chuckled.

"I'm going to take that as a compliment, despite knowing I probably shouldn't," he said. "Alright, so! From our little ventures today, I can gather a few hints as to what sort of girl I should be with: first, she can't be someone I'm just settling for, as you said. Second, she can't be taken. Third, I can't bring you with us for our first date…"

Azula laughed as Sokka continued to list the simple and obvious lessons he had learned that day. They were still laughing together as they arrived into Republic City again. Sokka smiled as he gazed at her. Others might find the sight of Azula laughing to be terrifying, but to him it was already something fully comfortable. She was awfully cute even when she didn't plan to be.

"Well, I think our day wasn't a complete waste, seeing how much you learned today," she said, smiling. "But I guess I should just head back now. The airship will be waiting for me."

"O-oh. Right," said Sokka, having forgotten completely that Azula wasn't here to stay. "Well, that is, if you don't want to be here for a little longer? I mean, if you'd like to stay…"

"Do you have more romantic prospects around here you want me to give you my input on?" Azula asked, with an uncertain smile. "You must be awfully popular if that's the case…"

"N-no, I don't, at least not right now, but you know… nothing bad happened to you today. You saw people aren't attacking you on sight, and you didn't hate it out here, right?"

"I didn't, but I doubt I should wait around until something happens," she said. "So if just as a safety measure… besides, where would I stay?"

"Well, there's inns. And I have an apartment," he said, biting his lip. "I could let you sleep on my bed and take the couch…"

"Your bed? I wonder if that's advisable," said Azula, looking at him with raised eyebrows. Sokka blushed.

"W-what do you mean?"

"Only that I have no idea when would have been the last time you changed your sheets, let alone how many one-night-stands you had in there…"

"Hey! I do change my sheets!" Sokka exclaimed, blushing. "And as for the one-night-stands…!"

"Please, don't regale me with your tales, it was bad enough to hear Toph describing how she groped and licked Satoru from head to toes…"

"I'm pretty sure she was embellishing it, you know? She couldn't possibly have…"

"And I'm pretty sure the word you wanted to use wasn't 'embellishing', precisely. That kind of implies she was making it sound beautiful and lovely, and that's the last thing it sounded like," said Azula, with a smirk.

"Okay, true too," said Sokka, chuckling. "She just wanted us to feel weird about it, is what I meant. And don't worry, I won't tell you about my non-existent nightly escapades. Seriously, there have been no one-night-stands."

"Really?" said Azula, raising her eyebrows with suspicion. "Should I believe that?"

"I never even kissed Niyok," said Sokka, chuckling. "So yeah, you probably should. I'm not that much of a womanizer."

"Well, surprising, but still… I should probably just head back to the Fire Nation," said Azula. "I don't want to risk running into someone with a grudge against me if I stay here too long."

"That's alright, that's alright," said Sokka, lowering his gaze.

Azula raised her eyebrows. Why did he seem so upset by the idea of her leaving? Was he that lonely? She guessed he probably was. His best friend was always training new students and now had a lover of her own, his sister and the Avatar weren't quite what could be described as desirable company, obnoxious in love as they were, and his girlfriend had left him not that long ago. It wasn't that odd that he'd want to be with someone… just as it wasn't odd that Azula, lonely by nature, would want to spend more time around him too.

"But, uh, as you just mentioned, I don't have more prospects here," he said, lifting his head. "And actually? I'm not doing much around here these days…"

"No?" Azula asked. Sokka shook his head. "And so…?"

"Maybe I can go with you!" he exclaimed. Azula's eyes widened.

"W-wait, you mean…?" she said. Sokka beamed.

"Maybe we can find someone better for me in the Fire Nation, you never know!" he said. "So far I've had no luck with Earth Kingdom or Water Tribe girls, so…"

"So you have to try one of everything?" Azula asked. Sokka froze.

"Okay, that came out wrong," he said. She laughed.

"You're hopeless," she said, shaking her head. "Can you just come to the Fire Nation freely? You're sure you won't be needed around here soon?"

"Not for now, I think," said Sokka, shrugging. "I'll just leave a note at home in case Katara or Aang come looking for me, and we can go to the Fire Nation together!"

"W-well… I guess we could do that," said Azula, blinking blankly. "Though I guess Zuko will be shocked to hear you came back with me, but it shouldn't bother him much, right?"

"Nope!" said Sokka, beaming. "Alright, so we'll do that!"

Azula smiled as she followed him to his building. It wasn't too big, barely two stories, and he lived in the top one. She glanced around his room, unsurprised to see his clothes were scattered all over the place, as he scribbled a note quickly.

"Sorry for the mess," he said, apologetically, as they left the place again after leaving his message on his table. "I, uh… I really have no excuses so yeah, sorry."

"You're just as given to doing chores as I am," said Azula, smiling. Sokka snorted.

"I guess Toph's idea wasn't that great, huh? If we ended up together we'd be a mess when it comes to chores and cleaning the place, right?"

"We wouldn't have to move in together right away, though. Or maybe you could just end up in the Palace," Azula said, smirking. "You wouldn't have to worry about cleaning anything there, there's servants to do it for you."

"That's the life, huh?" said Sokka, smiling. She nodded.

"Far better than doing it yourself," she finished.

The realization that they'd been talking about being a couple, and that Azula had actually come up with a way to make things work between then, only hit them a moment afterwards. They both glanced at each other furtively before looking away again. They were just goofing around, clearly… weren't they?


	2. Chapter 2

When they arrived at the airship they found the guards and machinists were asleep. They were woken in order to get the ship in motion right away, and as Sokka carried his luggage around the limited space in the airship he realized he had no room of his own in here. A small detail he had overlooked until then.

He had glanced into every room in the cabin's section, finding they were all occupied by guards or engineers. There were no free bunks, it looked like. He grimaced, thinking of how many people had been needed to bring Azula across the ocean to meet him… he tried not to feel guilty, guessing Zuko would pay them accordingly for their services. But regardless of that, the matter remained that he still had nowhere to sleep. Maybe Azula knew of some secret cabin he could use…?

He walked towards her cabin, the one with an opulent red door with golden ornaments. He knocked softly before pushing the door open without thinking twice about it.

"Azula, you in? I've got a bit of a…"

"What the hell are you…?!" he heard her scream. He froze as he glanced inside the room, terrified of having caught her in the middle of something potentially compromising…

He didn't see anything weird inside the cabin, other than the fact that Azula was wearing her hair up in a ponytail along with a flowing red-and-gold sleeping robe that showed an unusual amount of cleavage. Yet she was blushing deeply, her face contorted with indignation… was she mad he had seen her without make-up, as she sat on the bed, readying herself for sleep with a book against her chest? Or was it because he had come in without waiting for her approval? Either way, he soon was blushing too. He had never expected to see Azula like this.

"U-uh, oops, sorry… I should've, uh, waited until you said I could come in," he said, grimacing. "I just was trying to find a free cabin and I've got nothing, so…"

"That's no reason to come barging in here without any warning!" Azula exclaimed, before setting down the book next to her and covering it with the sheet.

"Well, who else was I supposed to go to?" Sokka said. "I won't have anywhere to sleep unless you… um, why did you hide that book?"

"I'm not hiding anything," Azula growled, her cheeks burning as she climbed off the bed. "Spirits, you have no decency whatsoever. It's none of your business what I read, and I couldn't care less about where you sleep either, considering you attached yourself to this trip because you felt like it…"

"Heeeey, you're being awfully mean again," Sokka pointed out, raising an eyebrow. "It's been forever since you've gotten like this…"

"I don't tend to be friendly to people who invade my privacy," Azula growled as she made her way to the door. "Come on, we'll find a hole or something you can crawl in…"

"A hole?" Sokka asked, looking at her in disbelief as she passed him by. "I… think not."

"Isn't that what you came here to…?" Azula started, turning to look at him… only to notice, a little too late, that he had dived towards her bed, a smile on his face as he reached for the book.

The blood slowed in Azula's body just before she jumped towards Sokka, grabbing him by the legs and pulling at him brusquely, but she wasn't fast enough: his arms had proved long enough to grab the book from under the covers.

"No! Put that down right now! Right now!" Azula shouted, blushing wildly as she felt the irresistible temptation of setting Sokka's clothes on fire. Sokka chuckled and trashed against the bed, forcing her to let go of his legs.

"Not a chance! What the heck is this, girl?" he asked, only a moment before a ball of blue fire came hurtling towards him. He ducked, his eyes wide. "Hey! What the hell was that for?!"

"Put that book down, this instant!" Azula bellowed, as she shot more fire at him.

But after years of training and developing his skills at the fine art of evading attacks he couldn't possibly stand a chance against, Sokka managed to avoid getting scorched, keeping the book from burning only narrowly. Yet Azula's fire blasts kept coming as he jumped through the room, and he was forced to roll under the bed and use it as a shield from Azula's attacks.

"You coward!" Azula shouted, making her way to the bed in hopes to kick fire under it, but as soon as she was close enough he grabbed her ankle and pulled.

She had to brace herself against the floor, breaking her fall with a hand and giving Sokka long enough to roll out of the bed at the other side, and at long last he could read the title of the book she was so very embarrassed by…

"Huh?" he said, blinking blankly.

"Stop looking at it!" Azula shouted, tossing more fire at Sokka, but doing so over the bed prove futile, he only had to lower his head to avoid catching fire… and to her chagrin, there was a teasing smile on his face when he turned to look at her. "You…!"

"You're reading romance books!" he exclaimed.

Azula jumped over the bed quickly, pressing a hand over his mouth and forcing him to shut up as she pushed him down to the floor. He hit his head hard against the floor, but he still stretched his arm out to prevent her from taking the book from him. Her hand still was pressed against him, their faces inches apart as she glared at him.

"Don't you dare say that out loud EVER AGAIN, you hear me?! Or else I'll set you on fire and toss you out of this airship as you burn and plummet to your death, and you don't want that, now, do you?!" she growled. Sokka gulped and shook his head. Azula's glare was fiercer than it had been in ages, her golden eyes burning with rage… and her cheeks red with embarrassment.

Azula removed her hand from his mouth and reached to grab the book, but Sokka pouted and reached out to keep it out of her grasp. The Princess glared at his hand before looking at him.

"Give it back!"

"Not happening!" he said. "You tried to kill me, I deserve to know why!"

"I didn't try to…!" Azula started, but she froze. Okay, she kind of had. She couldn't quite deny it. "Well, maybe I did, but that's my property, not yours! Give it back this minute!"

"Not today!" Sokka declared, smirking before locking his legs around hers and forcing them to roll on the floor so he'd end up atop her. Azula snarled and tried to push him off, but his larger frame and bigger build made it impossible for her to succeed. He taunted her with the book and managed to clasp her wrists and pin her hands above her head, the book still out of her grasp.

"Curse it, Sokka, you don't want to keep pushing your luck, or do you?!" Azula roared. He chuckled.

"No, but neither do you, I'm sure," he said, smiling before leaning down to kiss her brow.

Her red cheeks lit up more, and she stopped struggling against him altogether, taken aback by his gesture. What the hell was that?!

She looked at him in disbelief, and he smiled approvingly when she stopped wriggling underneath him. He took his chance to release her and stand up, as she lay on the floor, still frozen cold.

"W-why did you…?" she asked. He shrugged.

"Thought a little loving would stop your rage." he said, winking at her.

If anything, his gestures now made her rage more. She leapt at him, tackling him into the bed as he laughed loudly, surrounding her body with his arms after tossing the book to the foot of the bed. Azula struggled to reach it, irritated by how he was limiting her movements. She couldn't possibly burn him, not him… though she was very tempted to do so. How could he be so stupid? How had he dared do this? She gritted her teeth when she finally grabbed the book, and with a swift movement she smacked him over the head with it. Sokka flinched and groaned in pain, letting her go at last. Azula huffed, kneeling victorious on the bed… and realizing her sash had almost come loose in the middle of their squabble. She made sure to tie it up quickly before Sokka had a chance to see anything he shouldn't have.

"Okay, okay, you win…" he surrendered at last, groaning and sinking in the bed. Azula grumbled under her breath, looking at the book with a mix of contempt and concern.

She hated that she had grown so attached to that sort of stories, that she would often read them before going to bed… but then again, she couldn't help herself. And she also couldn't help but be annoyed because he'd made her lose her page.

"You bastard," she muttered. He chuckled and looked at her with amusement.

"Come on, you don't have to be so mad. That's probably the most erotic fight I've had in my life," he said, chuckling. "Though, now I think of it, when we were down in those tunnels it was even more exciting… just how do we always end up in close quarters with one another, huh, Princess?"

"Beats me. You bastard…" she repeated, shaking her head. Sokka smiled.

"Well, what is it about?"

"None of your business!"

"Aw, but I'm curious!" he exclaimed. Azula huffed and looked at him in disbelief.

"Oh, you're curious. Of course you are. All you want is to have something to tease me over, to tell all your blasted friends you discovered about me, and from now on all I'll hear will be mockery of my taste in literature, and… and that's it for my reputation."

"Is that such a bad thing? The reputation part, I mean," said Sokka, smiling. "I mean, you do worry that people will never get over the things you did in the war. If they knew you're a hopeless romantic, though…"

"I'm no such thing!" Azula shouted, grabbing a pillow and smacking Sokka with it now. He laughed again.

"Better than getting hit with a book, at least," he said, chuckling. Azula huffed again and shook her head.

"I don't want anyone to hear of this, simple as that! And if I ever discover someone else knows of this, you'll be discovering just how ruthless I can be, you hear me?!"

"Gee, no need to be so mad. It's just a book," he said, pouting. Azula glared at him.

"I already told you it's more than that. You'll… you'll ruin me," she groaned. Sokka raised an eyebrow.

"Well, now, that's going too far," he said. "I did say I wouldn't tell anyone, you remember?"

"You didn't, but you still will!" Azula shouted. "You can't keep a secret…"

"I've kept a lot of secrets, you know?" said Sokka, looking at her skeptically.

"Oh, really?" Azula said, sarcastically. "Name one."

"Wha…? If I told you I would be giving them away!" he exclaimed, blushing. Azula frowned.

"Huh. Maybe you aren't that easy to crack after all," she said. Sokka pouted.

"Seriously woman, give me a bit more credit than that," he said, rolling in the bed and poking her thigh with a finger. "But really, what is it about? Is it any good?"

"What, you want to borrow it?" Azula asked, sarcastically. Sokka shrugged and she froze. "You what?"

"Why not?" he said, smiling. "If I read it too, my reputation as a strong, manly warrior will be in risk just as much as your reputation as a heartless, dangerous Princess. So see? That way you won't feel so bad about my terrible discovery, right?"

Azula frowned as she realized his proposal made enough sense. But why was he putting himself at such risk? Why, when he had found her weak spot…?

"Why would you do that?" she asked.

"Because I want to read it!" Sokka exclaimed, chuckling. "Come on, you and I are similar in many ways, so maybe I'll enjoy the stories you enjoy, too."

"In many ways?" Azula said, looking at him in disbelief. Sokka smiled.

"Come on, listen here: we're both the fun sibling of a boring, brooding one," he said, listing the similarities with his fingers. Azula conceded the very first one with a nod. "We're the smartest person in most groups…"

"Well, you're the smartest one as long as I'm not there too," she said, with a smirk. Sokka snorted.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, Princess," he said, chuckling. "We were both closer to our dads than we were to our moms, we have sensitivity for arts and nice stories, we're capable of adapting to situations instead of whining about everything that goes wrong…"

"Which ties in with the very first one you mentioned," said Azula, again smirking.

"We're also quick learners, talented fighters, and capable tacticians!" Sokka exclaimed. "And everyone keeps passing us over to favor our boring siblings despite we're way cooler than they are."

"True as well," said Azula, eyeing him with uncertainty. Sokka smiled.

"See? We're not that different," he said.

"Well, we still are different," she whispered. "Not only are you a peasant while I'm a Princess, and you're Water Tribe while I'm Fire Nation, you're also…"

"Also what?" he asked, when she was silent for longer than he expected her to be.

"Awfully successful in terms of love. I'm not," she said, shrugging. Sokka snorted.

"Yeah, no. Successful would imply I'd be in a long-term relationship that's going somewhere," he said. "And that's exactly what I'm not involved in as of now. I mean, after everything you've seen me mess up, and everything I've mess up while you weren't watching, too, do you really think I'm successful in love?"

"More than I am anyways," said Azula. Sokka blinked a few times. "I mean… you've had lots of girls interested in you even if it never worked out. To this day I doubt a single guy has looked my way."

"Hey, that's not true," said Sokka. "They have looked your way… only, they probably think they're beneath you so they just don't approach you at all."

"You mean they think I'm going to mock them or torture them sexually in some weird way," Azula stated. Sokka grimaced.

"Uh, maybe some of them think that too…"

"You're approachable, simply. I'm not," she said. Sokka raised his eyebrows.

"And that's something awfully upsetting for you, isn't it?" he asked. She snorted.

"It's not important. I've made my peace with it," she said. "I'll spend the rest of my life alone? So be it. But… but then I still feel curious as to how it would be to have someone. So that's why I read these."

She gestured at the book and sighed.

"Call me a sap, an idiot, mock me all day if you will," she said. "I deserve it. Sorry for… reacting as I did."

"Don't be," said Sokka, smiling. "I actually… enjoyed it, weird as it may sound for me to say so"

"You enjoyed almost getting set on fire?" Azula asked. Sokka chuckled.

"It's been ages since my heart was racing like this," he said. "I don't always go through crazy exciting situations these days, and I kind of miss them. Just now, though… it was seriously awesome. I can't remember the last fight I got in before this one."

"Neither can I," Azula confessed, crossing her arms over her knees, the book still held in her hand.

"And I'm not going to mock you, and I won't call you a sap," he said. "But I will blackmail you if I must… hand it over and let me read, or I'll tell everyone just what I saw!"

"Try that and I'll set you on fire for good," Azula growled. Sokka chuckled.

"Come on, hand it over," he said, reaching to grab the book. To his surprise, she didn't present any more opposition. "Eh, you let me take it!"

"Just for now," Azula grunted, sighing and dropping on the bed. "While I have a leave of my senses."

"Neat. Please keep having a leave of your senses for the time being, if you'd be so kind," he said, smiling as he opened the book.

"It's about a demon, a princess and a general," Azula started. Sokka whistled with interest.

"Sounds nice," he said, as he opened the book.

"The demon has the form of a beautiful lady, and she seduces the general the princess has always loved," Azula explained. "He cannot be with her because of their social standings, but also because he feels guilty for causing an accident that left her face scarred…"

"Scarred how?" Sokka asked.

"With three awful scabs across her face," Azula explained. "It was a bear's doing, he was too large, too strong. The general only defeated it when it was too late: it had already harmed the Princess. She became far stronger after that, so nothing would ever have the power to best her. But he never got over the shame of having allowed harm come to her. So despite she confesses her undying feelings for him, he rejects her… and she thinks it's because of her scars. So she goes to the demon, who allows them to switch bodies, and…"

"Woah, really?! That easily?" Sokka asked, astounded. Azula nodded.

"And the princess manages to be with the man she loves, but in another body…"

"Waaaait a minute, did he know it was her?" Sokka asked, pushing himself up and looking at Azula with confusion. Azula shook her head. "What?! So he thinks he's with the demon!"

"Yeah, that's the complicated part…" said Azula. Sokka pouted.

"He's an idiot!" he exclaimed. Azula laughed.

"Maybe he did realize it, on some level," she said. "Maybe he could sense it was her soul, and it wasn't her superficial beauty he loved but what's underneath. At least that's what I hope the story gets at eventually, I'm still halfway through."

"It better be!" Sokka exclaimed, pouting as he stretched his legs, kicked off his boots and started to read. Azula chuckled.

"You know, you don't have to start reading it right now…"

"I do! I want to make sure the princess gets with him, in her real body," he said, still pouting. "He's only accepting her in the other body because he's guilty for letting the beast harm her, right?"

"I suppose so. I was about to get to a part where they confront each other, but you came in here just as I was getting to it," she grunted. Sokka looked at her apologetically.

"Uh, oops. Sorry about that," he said. She smiled.

"Never mind. You can catch up with me, and then we can finish it together. But in the mean time…"

She rolled on the bed, dropping her head on his thighs. Sokka blushed as she closed her eyes, using him as her pillow.

"Let me know when you reach the part where she loses her temper and tries to beat the hell out of him," she said. Sokka chuckled.

"Alright, I'll do that," he said, smiling as he started to read.

Azula didn't expect to be eased into sleep while Sokka read, but she found she was tired enough to doze off for an hour or two. An hour or two that became eight hours, as she discovered when she woke up to find Sokka as well had passed out, but she was astonished when she saw he had at least reached half the book: he had stayed up for as long as he could until he had reached the part of the book she had mentioned.

She couldn't help but smile as she watched him, despite herself. Did he really care that much about romantic stories, or was he simply being a good friend? She suspected the former, but that didn't mean he wasn't the latter, too.

So she had surprised him by waking him up after having brought breakfast for him into her room. They ate together and debated about the book through their meal, only to drop on the bed again, huddled against each other, reading the rest of the story and as good as competing over who was the fastest reader with every page they passed. It didn't take long before they finished the book, winding up with tearful eyes as they lay next to the other, her head on his shoulder.

"I'm not crying, okay?" Sokka said, with a thread of a voice as he wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. Azula shook her head.

"Neither was I. Of course not," she muttered, closing her eyes as she dried her tears with her fingertips.

"But hell, that was beautiful," he said, sniffing. "She healed her scars and got to and live on in her real body, and the demon fused with her…!"

"It's the perfect ending for them. If only he hadn't cut his eyes out, though…" she said, covering her mouth with a hand.

"He had to do it to stop the curse!" Sokka exclaimed, pouting. "He's such a brave man, and his love was so true to the very end!"

"It was. It really was," said Azula, covering her eyes with a hand.

"Wow, that was intense," said Sokka, breathing out and looking at her. "You okay?"

"Not sure, but I might be eventually," she said, sighing. "I'll have to wait for some time before reading another one…"

"Eh, you have more of these?!" Sokka asked, his eyes brightening. Azula nodded.

"A whole bunch, actually. I keep them hidden, though. In case Zuko comes prying and finds out…" she whispered. Sokka nodded.

"That makes sense," he said. "I would do the same, but I actually hadn't thought about reading these books until just today. I should get more of these, though!"

"I can recommend several, if you really like them. But as you know…" she said, looking at him meaningfully. "You're not telling a soul about this. Not a single one."

"Hey, this is our little secret. You can trust me," said Sokka, smiling. Azula sighed.

"I hope so," she said.

To her surprise, he took her hand in his and smiled gently at her. She looked back at him, wondering if she could really trust him…

"What do you think happened later, though?" he asked. "After they take off into the sunset on the horses…"

"You know, I always end up wondering that," she confessed. "What happens after the story? Sometimes it feels like they get cut short a little before delivering genuine gratification, you know…"

"Yeah! And like… did they have kids? Did they live happy lives? Were their babies one-third demon or something?" Sokka asked. Azula laughed. "Really! There's so much left unanswered!"

"We should come up with a sequel all on our own," she said. Sokka smirked.

"We should write one, absolutely!" he declared "The Princess and the General, as they search for a land where they can settle down and have children!"

"And they shall teach their children all about warfare and to be wary of demons because not all of them have kind intentions," said Azula raising her eyebrows.

"Damn right!" Sokka said.

They spent the rest of that day chatting over their ideas for the rest of the story, wondering just where their favorite characters might end up, and they fell asleep again in the same bed, side by side, the book lying between them.

Azula woke to find that she had indeed fallen asleep again with Sokka, though to her relief, he wasn't drooling this time. As he lay there, his eyes closed, his breath regular and slow, she came to realize she hadn't shared her bed with anyone else like this before. Granted nothing out of the ordinary had happened, but the act itself had been out of the ordinary for her. Add to that how they'd had so much casual physical contact through the two previous days, how it had felt so natural, so simple…

As she gazed at him she couldn't help but be charmed by his handsome face. He had always been good-looking, though she had never made a fuss about it in their youth. By now, though, his factions had grown sharper. His jawline and cheekbones were strong and beautiful, to Azula's utter amazement. When had he become so attractive? It hadn't been overnight, that was the same face she had grown used to seeing in passing at first, later in nightly conversations over shared drinks… yet now he looked so beckoning, so alluring she didn't know what to do about the strange feelings nestling inside her.

She felt the most powerful urge to kiss him, but she held back upon realizing she was being foolish. What was it with her? She might like him to a degree, more than she did most people, but that didn't mean they should enter a romantic relationship. They might have teased one another about that, and Sokka was right to say they had a lot in common, and they had enjoyed reading together too…

The more she thought about it, the less reasons she could think of to claim they weren't a good match. Her eyes widened as she gazed at him wistfully. He was single by now, wasn't he? And he was looking for love indeed…

But not with her, Azula realized, with a sinking feeling. He wanted her help, but he had never implied the woman he truly wanted was her. He wanted her advice, her wisdom… wisdom she had acquired after she had gotten into the habit of reading books like the one that still lay between them. But he didn't want her to be the one. He had never given any indication of that. That in itself was a big reason why they weren't a good match: he didn't see her as a potential partner, just as a friend. And just with that, it was already the deepest of Azula's current relationships.

Granted she had learned to get along with others, and was in better terms with her brother than ever before, but the only ones she actually liked amongst her brother's friends were Sokka and Toph. The latter was seldom around, so despite they got along nicely, she wasn't sure they were friends to begin with. Sokka, though… whenever he came to visit Suki, back when his visits to the Fire Nation were mostly related to her, he would always stop by to check on her. After she had helped save the Fire Nation he came to understand she genuinely cared about her nation, that she wanted to make sure it would prosper. Even though she wasn't Fire Lord, she still was working for her people.

In time he had grown to like her, at least well enough to be friendly with her, and when she hadn't pulled evil schemes on him, he had grown convinced he'd taken the right decision in regards of how to treat the Princess. But would he ever consider getting involved with her on a deeper level? Could he? Azula doubted it. Maybe, just maybe, she wasn't a completely lost cause and maybe she could make someone fall in love with her – at the very least, she expected to be capable of producing lust in people, if love was out of the possibilities – but the odds for her to charm Sokka, of all people, were far too low. She doubted he'd ever consider her as a romantic partner.

She felt pangs of pain stinging her chest as she gazed at him. If only her past wasn't as murky as it was, maybe they could have a future. But she doubted they could have one at all, not when she carried far more baggage with her than was justifiable. Sokka would be best off with a girl who had less complexes and issues than she did.

She sighed in defeat, giving up on the war before even starting to fight it. It wasn't worth it. It was just like trying to take Zuko's throne now: what would be the point? She wasn't worthy of it, and she'd be discarded as soon as someone better for the job came along. She might serve for Sokka to pass the time, but that was it. That was all she could hope for. It didn't matter how many times they might wind up reading in bed together, they could only be friends. It was all she could ask for.

Sokka woke about ten minutes after she had, yawning and covering his mouth as tears blinked on the corners of his eyes. Azula watched him, guessing his handsome gracefulness was harder to notice when he was being as foolish as he often was… and indeed she verified it when he smiled guiltily at her.

"Oops. Fell asleep here again, did I?" he asked. She nodded.

"I guess you resolved your problem about finding a room without that much trouble," she said. Sokka smiled and blushed.

"Thanks for bearing with me, though. I guess you mustn't be used to this sort of thing…"

"What, falling asleep with a man? Why, it happens all the time. Men throw themselves at me everywhere I go," she said, sarcastically. Sokka chuckled.

"They should. They don't have the guts to do it, but they should," he said, rolling in the bed and smiling. "Still, your bed is so damn comfortable… can I stay here forever?"

"Not a good idea. We'll probably land soon. The trip isn't half as long through air as it might be overseas," Azula said. Sokka groaned.

"Really? We'll be there that soon?" he said. Azula raised an eyebrow.

"Why does it bother you?" she asked, propping herself up by the elbow. "Did you really want to stay here for a little longer?"

"It's… comfortable, you know?" he said, smiling at her. "After you were done trying to kill me for discovering your secret, things just got neat and comfy. It's been nice, sharing stories and a bed with you."

"Sounds a lot dirtier than it was," said Azula, raising her eyebrows. "And knowing you, your ideas for sharing a bed with women mustn't be this innocent…"

"Oh, well, if you'd like to offer something a little wilder I won't complain," said Sokka, smirking. Azula snorted and shook her head, looking at him with amusement.

"You're a piece of work, you know that?" she said. He gave her a wide grin.

"I do my best," he said.

As she looked at him she realized she'd been dead wrong earlier: whatever had woken inside her as she watched him sleep hadn't died just because he'd opened his eyes and started to say foolish things again. If anything, words that might have amused or irritated her earlier now made her chest ache and flutter at once. And that accursed urge to jump on him to press a kiss to his lips was escalating, too…

"Anyways, uh… I should probably change and shower," she said. "I'd suggest you do the same, we probably shouldn't arrive to the Fire Nation without having changed our clothes at all though the journey."

"Cool. Want to shower together?" he asked, chuckling. He laughed harder when Azula smacked his shoulder with the pillow. "Come on, it was a joke!"

That was precisely the reason she had hit him, despite he didn't realize it. Maybe she did find some appeal in that proposal now, so it wasn't that funny a joke anymore for her. She rolled her eyes and climbed off the bed, searching through her pack for a comfortable set of clothes. Sokka did the same, and he patted her back before leaving to find another room where he could clean up and change without inconveniencing her.

She grimaced when she watched him leave. Their flirting needed to stop, or he needed to start meaning what he said. Or maybe she should just reply with honesty, tell him what she really wanted…

But that wouldn't be fair. She frowned as she remembered how selfless he was when it came to those he loved. He wouldn't impose upon them, he would always put their happiness first…she had to do that for him too, didn't she? He was her only real friend as she was. She couldn't risk losing him over her selfishness, as she had with previous friends…

They met again at the viewing platform of the airship. Sokka smiled when he saw her standing by the window, fully clad in her regal garb, her hands behind her back.

"I'm going to miss your sleeping robe," he said, as he stopped next to her. "Believe it or not, it suits you."

"In case you hadn't noticed, I wear the clothes I wear because they suit me," she replied, proudly. Sokka chuckled.

"You're doing a fine job at it, then," he said. "Anyways, ready to go home?"

"I suppose," Azula lied. Truth be told, she wasn't that ready. She had the bad feeling she'd miss falling asleep beside Sokka after rambling for hours about stories and their possible outcomes…

"It was a fun trip, though," said Sokka. "Despite I got a glass of water flung at my face, and I also had oogies after seeing Toph with Satoru, but you're a fun traveling companion, you know?"

"Are you trying to suggest we should do this again sometime?" Azula asked, raising her eyebrows.

"I'm kind of trying not to suggest it but to imply it," he said, smiling at her. "There's a subtle difference between both."

"I'm aware," she said, smiling too despite herself. "Aren't we about to do it again now, though? We're going to the Fire Nation so you can… so you can meet Fire Nation girls and see if maybe one of them is the right match for you. Remember?"

"Oh, true…" said Sokka, frowning. Oddly enough, he'd forgotten completely about that during the past two days. What had he expected to do once they arrived into the Fire Nation? Did he think he'd just sit around with Azula reading more stories?

The fact that the idea felt beckoning to him made him stiffen. Okay, that was new. Not so much the wanting to be around Azula, which was perfectly normal since she seemed to be his one and only ally in his fight to beat love these days… but the fact that he'd forgotten about his fight against love altogether and just wanted to spend time with her. He gulped. There was something strange going on, something he'd been fully on board with, if only subconsciously. He hadn't made a habit of sending flirty comments her way until recently. The crazy story she had given Niyok had made him flinch, and he hadn't taken it as a serious possibility. He was sure she hadn't said it with such intent, after all.

Did he want to keep trying his luck with other girls? Or maybe what he had wanted all along hadn't been out of his grasp, despite he had thought it was…?

The airship stopped in midair, and a ladder was lowered for Sokka and Azula to climb it down into the Palace's grounds. Zuko had been waiting for them, his head held high as he watched them approach.

"Good to see you're back, Azula, but… why did you come, Sokka?" he said, staring at his friend in confusion and apprehension. Sokka raised an eyebrow. He should have guessed Zuko would be uneasy around him for the time being, since he felt rather guilty after what had happened with Suki.

"Have a problem with that?" Sokka asked, smiling. "I just didn't have much to do, and I figured I'd see Azula home. I did make her go all the way to Republic City after all…"

"Did everything go well?" Zuko asked. Azula nodded.

"If you don't count the glass of water that was flung to Sokka's face…" she said, shrugging. Sokka smiled awkwardly.

"You know, that's still your fault."

"Not really. You asked for it."

"I did not!"

Zuko grimaced as he looked back and forth between them. It wasn't that he didn't trust his friend, or his sister… it was that he had a very hard time trusting them when they came in a set. What on earth was this association between them supposed to mean?

"But anyways, Sokka is probably going to be here for a few days," Azula said, waving a hand carelessly. "That's not a problem, is it?"

"U-uh, no, well… I don't think so," said Zuko, swallowing hard. "I'll send word to have a room arranged for…"

"Zuko, we got a message from the port, there seems to be an issue with…" called out another voice, familiar for all of them.

Sokka's stomach seemed to tighten when he saw Suki climbing down the steps of the Palace. She had been in the middle of conveying something important, but she as well froze when she saw Sokka. They hadn't met since their break-up, which hadn't been the most dramatic break-up in history, but there were still some hard feelings and unresolved emotions between them.

Zuko looked as though he were ready for the earth to swallow him whole. Azula could only glance from Sokka, to Suki, to Zuko, wondering just how long it would take for all three of them to stop being so awkward around the others. She sighed.

"What's the issue? Is it anything Zuko can't be competent enough to resolve himself?" she asked. Zuko stiffened and frowned at her, to Azula's relief. At least he had snapped out of his misery for long enough to glare at his sister.

"It's not something that troublesome, I'm sure," he said. Suki shook her head.

"It's just about some forms, they weren't turned in on time so…" said Suki. Zuko nodded.

"I'll dispatch someone to take care of that right away," he said.

Suki swallowed hard as she looked at Sokka. To her surprise, he smiled at her.

"Hey," he said. "How's everything around here? Added any more dismantled conspiracies to your list of great achievements?"

"Huh?" said Zuko. Suki smiled.

"No, everything's been fine," she said. "It's good to see you again, Sokka."

"Same," said Sokka, grinning. "Uh, you know, to see you, not to see myself. I mean, I haven't really seen myself these days, there were no mirrors in the airship…"

Azula sighed. She was starting to get some serious second-hand embarrassment from his ridiculous rambling. She shook her head and slung her pack over her shoulder.

"As fun as it is to hear Sokka revealing his narcissistic tendencies to admire his reflection, my pack is heavy enough and I'd rather get some rest after that trip. Make sure to deal with the matter of the port, Zuzu, and I'll be seeing you all later…"

She walked away, relieved to put distance between herself and the tense atmosphere behind her. And as she left Sokka couldn't help but wish he could simply go with her. He wasn't sure how to deal with Suki or Zuko right now, let alone both at once.

"Thanks for taking Azula to Republic City," Zuko said, suddenly. "She probably needed that more than she said she did."

"Oh, no problem. It was fun," said Sokka, smiling.

"Was it really?" Suki asked. "I mean… it's Azula."

"And it's Sokka," said Zuko. "He's always gotten along with her better than the rest of us, beats me why."

"Maybe because she thinks I'm the smartest one of our lot," said Sokka, smiling proudly.

"Did she say that? Really?" said Suki, raising her eyebrows. Sokka smirked.

"I'm afraid so," he said, chuckling. Zuko frowned.

"And… that's all there is to that, right? I mean… you two are friends," he said. Sokka nodded.

"Yeah. And heck, if we were anything else, would you really have any right to get all 'big brother mode' over it?" he asked, smirking. Zuko stiffened.

"I… I didn't mean I'd do that, just…" he said, Sokka chuckled.

"Come on, lighten up, pal. I'm just messing with you," he said, patting his shoulder. "Anyways, I'll go drop my pack somewhere too. I'll see you two around."

"Sure…" said Suki, as Sokka walked away, passing between them. She stared at Zuko after Sokka had entered the building, dread in both their eyes. "You don't think he's…"

"No. I mean, they'd prank me, they have done it before, but… not with this," he said. Suki grimaced.

"I hope not. I mean, no offense, but Azula and Sokka?" she asked, raising her eyebrows. Zuko's eyes widened.

"It's a pretty hellish idea, isn't it?" he said. Suki smiled.

"Hopefully that's not really what's happening."

"Yeah. Hopefully," Zuko agreed, swallowing hard.

Sokka headed to his usual room in the Palace, dropping his bags there and sighing. He had crossed paths again with the Fire Lord and his probable future Fire Lady and survived, that had to be a good sign. He didn't feel too comfortable about the situation as a whole, mostly because of how they had sensed a vibe of romance between him and Azula… but also because of how they had acted about it. They'd been wary, uncertain, like they thought it was a bad idea… why would it be? If anything, it could be great! And besides, Zuko damn deserved it, considering he had taken Sokka's girlfriend in the first place…

He left his room, thinking he'd go to Azula's to propose a fun idea to torment Zuko, but he didn't make it too far before spotting another Kyoshi Warrior down the corridor. Her eyes lit up when she saw him.

"Sokka!" Ty Lee exclaimed, beaming as she cartwheeled her way towards him. Sokka flinched and took a step back, in case she miscalculated her acrobatics. "It's been a while, how are you doing?"

"Uh, fine, actually. Nice seeing you too," he said, smiling politely.

"Suki had been feeling real guilty after she split up with you," she said, looking at him sympathetically. "I hope you're doing better by now. Found someone new yet?"

"Well, no, but don't worry about it. I'll probably find someone soon," he said, smiling awkwardly. Ty Lee whistled.

"Oh, so do you have your sights set on someone, Cutie?" she asked, smiling suggestively at him. Sokka swallowed hard.

"I, uh, not quite right now, but maybe in time I'll…"

"Because you know, sometimes the right girl doesn't have to be the right one for the rest of your life," she said, still smiling in the same way. "Maybe she can be the right one for a day or two, a week, or I don't know… for how long will you stay here?"

"Eh? I haven't quite made up my mind about it, but… why are you standing so close to me?" he asked, with an awkward smile as Ty Lee moved close enough to touch him.

"Oh, I was just thinking you must really be upset after that break-up, so…"

"Ah, Sokka! There you are."

Sokka jumped, blushing deeply. The interruption had come from the one person whose sole voice would make Ty Lee pull away warily, her defenses fully lifted as she turned to glare at her former best friend.

Azula did not look happy, Sokka realized, but he wasn't sure why exactly… still, he was grateful that she had showed up when she had. If not, who knew what other things Ty Lee would have said to entice him into some sort of short-lived affair, which seemed to be what she was interested in…

"Azula?" he said. Ty Lee's jaw tightened as she looked at her.

"I was looking through my stuff and that book on military tactics you lent me wasn't there," she lied. "Did you mix it up with the one I gave you, by any chance?"

"Oh, uh… maybe?" said Sokka, shrugging. "I might have grabbed the wrong book when we were picking our stuff up…"

"Well, our room was quite a mess indeed," Azula said, smiling at him as she gestured at him to follow her. "Let's see if you have it."

"Sure!" he said, smiling too as he followed her, leaving behind a very horrified Ty Lee, who seemed to be wondering just what Azula had meant by talking about 'their' room as casually as she had.

They turned around a corner and Sokka sighed happily.

"Spirits, thanks. I didn't know how to shake her off," he said. Azula groaned as they stopped, Sokka resting against the wall.

"Were you trying at all?" she asked, glaring at him. "I know she can be clingy, but from where I was standing it didn't look like you were fighting her off."

"Hey, I wasn't sure what to say to avoid having her crying on me or something," he said. Azula huffed.

"Well, I do know Ty Lee's crying is awfully uncomfortable," she said. "Still… if you're seriously going to try to get involved with someone, please do us both a favor and don't make it her, okay?"

"Uh… both of us? Why both of us?" said Sokka, looking at her warily. "I mean… h-how is it your problem if Ty Lee and I were to…?"

"It'd be a problem with my stupid newly-woken conscience, that's what!" Azula shouted, slamming a hand against the wall, right next to Sokka's head. Sokka's eyes widened.

"W-what do you mean with…?"

"The last person you should ever get involved with is her. Got it?" Azula growled. "She may seem pretty to you, awfully nice and fun, but she's a bigger liar than I could ever hope to be. She pretended to be my friend until the very last moment, choosing Mai over me not because she thought I was the more dangerous one and needed to be stopped so we all survived, no! She chose her because she's been afraid of me since day one! She has said so many times, and every single time we have met ever since she has glared at me, kept her guard up, attacked me despite I was already as good as immobilized…!"

"Hey, hey!" Sokka said placing his hands on her shoulders and looking at her worriedly. "Azula, calm down. I didn't want to get involved with her to begin with, there's no need to worry…"

"Yes there is!" Azula exclaimed. "Your relationships have been a mess so far, but this would be the worst yet! So… so don't even think about it. No matter what she says or does, you… you're too good for her. If she could fake her way through friendship, she can fake it with love as well without a problem. So really, Sokka…"

"Hey. It's okay," he said, a hand on her cheek now.

His direct touch seemed to alert her of how frantic she was being just now, making her realize she needed to calm down indeed. She was acting erratically again, and she needed to stop… but Ty Lee, as well as Mai, were reminders of bitter times she wished she could forget. Fortunately, she didn't have to see much of Mai at all, but every single time she crossed paths with Ty Lee the pain of betrayal burned again with full force, and she could barely contain her urges to confront her for it, despite knowing it would not end well.

"I'm touched you're that worried about me," said Sokka, with a smile. "And I trust your judgment, you know that. If you say this isn't a good idea, it's not a good idea. I got it."

Azula swallowed hard and nodded, pulling away as she blushed after her embarrassing behavior. She needed to get a grip. Whatever feelings she was starting to develop for Sokka couldn't go out of control like this.

"Sorry. I… I didn't mean to react like that," she said, breathing deeply. "Besides, it's not like I'm completely blameless myself. Her betrayal was probably all my fault anyways."

"Come on, you don't have to be so hard on yourself. Not ten years later," said Sokka, stepping towards her and placing a hand on her shoulder again. "It's been long enough for the both of you to stop resenting one another, or hasn't it?"

"I think so at times, but… but then I see her again and it all comes back to me like it had only just happened," said Azula, shaking her head. "It's hard to forget things like these."

"Yeah, can't blame you," said Sokka, breathing out. "But you don't have to blame yourself for all of it, I think. I mean, you've shown you're a far better person than most of us believed, saved the Fire Nation several times, and Zuko trusts you fully. So if Ty Lee is still wary of you despite all this, I'd think she needs to make an effort just as you do. Maybe you weren't the nicest friend, but you're a perfectly nice friend to me now, right?"

"Am I?" Azula asked, looking at him with uncertainty. "I did get a girl to storm out on you because she thought you were a pervert, not to mention she flung a glass of water at you…"

"If I were the kind who holds grudges for that sort of thing, I would have stopped speaking to Toph and my sister ages ago," said Sokka, smiling. "Believe me, they've both done worse than throwing water at my face. Though Katara has also thrown water at my face, but you get what I mean, right?"

Azula smiled, despite herself. His reassuring grin was soothing, helping her feel better almost instantly. Sokka surrounded her shoulders with an arm, and guided her down the hallways.

"So, did you really misplace a book or was that your tactic to save me?" Sokka asked. Azula chuckled.

"A tactic. Had to think of something and that was the first thing off the top of my mind," she confessed. Sokka smiled.

"Well, that's fine, I can live with that," he said, grinning. "But, uh, I have to ask… do you have more of these books at all or don't you? Because I am intrigued by those recommendations you mentioned, and I don't mean about the military tactics…"

Azula smiled too and shrugged, but to Sokka's delight, she led him towards her room after all. She opened some of the cabinets in her furniture to show him just how many she had, and was rather amused by the sparkle of interest in his eyes upon the discovery.

"Amazing!" he exclaimed, beaming. "This is…! Ah, can I borrow any of these? Pleeeease?"

"I suppose," said Azula, still smiling. "But… are you serious about this? Weren't you here for something other than romance novels?"

"Eh, sure, but… isn't this more fun?" Sokka asked, smiling happily and grabbing one book. "Besides, you don't have anyone in mind for me yet, do you?"

"Not right now, but…"

"Well, then, until you come up with someone…" said Sokka, moving towards Azula's bed. Her eyes widened as he sat on the mattress, kicking off his boots. "I'll be claiming this nice bed for myself and if you'd like to join me, feel free!"

"Uh, need I remind you that bed is mine?" Azula asked, crossing her arms over her chest as Sokka sank in the soft bedding.

"Wow. You seriously… wow," he said, his eyes wide with delight as he spread over the large bed. "You've got the best bed ever!"

"Indeed I do, and I don't intend to share it if I don't have to!" Azula declared, stomping her way towards Sokka, a frown on her face. Sokka smiled.

"Well, now, they haven't prepared my room. I can I lay down here to wait while they finish getting it ready, right?"

"With whose permission, mind you?" Azula asked, climbing on the bed as well, her hands at either side of his head. Her gold glare made him shiver, but not with fear. It was with something else that he could grow fond of feeling when he was around her…

"Do I need someone's permission?" he asked, teasingly. She couldn't help but smile.

"You're an idiot," she said, rolling onto the bed so she would lie beside him. "And you really shouldn't get used to this, you know? Besides, imagine what everyone will think if they walk in here to find us like this."

"They'll think we're very good friends," said Sokka, smiling. Azula snorted.

"They'll think we're something other than good friends," she said. Sokka laughed. "And Zuko will be sure you're just doing his sister to take revenge because he stole your girlfriend."

"I'm doing you, now? Wow. We got going real fast, didn't we?" Sokka asked, teasingly. Azula blushed and shook her head.

"I'm only saying what they'll assume. You don't expect them to think we'll be innocent and celibate in a relationship, or do you?"

"Huh. We wouldn't be at all, would we?" Sokka asked, smiling. "We'd be all over each other at all times, and the sex would be… damn, Azula. We'd be trouble."

"Yeah, well, clearly that's not about to happen," said Azula, blushing deeply at the thought of them having sex. Curses, why did the idea sound so appealing? "Really, though, if you want to get back at Zuko maybe you should go for his ex-girlfriend, not for his sister."

"Uh, wait, what?" said Sokka, raising his eyebrows. "Mai?"

"Yeah. It'd be…" Azula said, before a malicious smirk spread over her face. "It'd be amazing. Yes! Maybe Mai is the perfect candidate, she's all through with that lousy boyfriend of hers, isn't she?"

"Wait, but… are you sure?" Sokka asked, his eyes wide. "I mean, she never seemed to like me much…"

"Not important," said Azula, sitting up with a bright smile on her face. Sokka looked at her in disbelief.

"Not important? How is that not important?!" Sokka exclaimed, sitting up.

"It's not important because compatibility has nothing to do with who you like, of course," said Azula, beaming before climbing off the bed. "Come on! We're taking a trip."

"Oh god," said Sokka, grimacing. "But… can I take the book?"

Azula chuckled and looked at him in disbelief. He was holding onto it with the silliest expression she had ever seen on his face.

"Fine. But let's get moving. I'd like to be home before dark," she said. Sokka climbed off the bed and put his boots on again, looking at her warily.

"So would I, but it's still the middle of the day," he said. "How far would we have to go?"

His question was answered when they had to take a carriage to their destination, a village not too far from the Capital city. Sokka was reading avidly through the entire trip, and Azula watched him with amusement as they made their way to Mai's home village. The things she had to do to stop Sokka from suggesting indecent and appealing proposals, and to make him climb off her bed…

Then again, she really hadn't wanted him off her bed that badly, but it was all she could do to keep from kissing him when she had a chance. She had the feeling he wouldn't have rejected her, but still… if he wanted it, it was up to him to act upon it. She wasn't going to make it easier for him.


	3. Chapter 3

They arrived at a village and the carriage stopped across a flower shop. Azula smiled and patted Sokka's shoulder.

"Very well, then. Go to the flower shop, from my understanding she's been working there," she said.

"That's about the last place I ever expected to find such a dark and gloomy girl," said Sokka, looking at Azula with confusion.

"It is, no doubt," she said, smiling. "Should make it even more fun to ask her out in such a favorable environment. Good luck!"

"… Are you doing this to mess with me, by any chance?" Sokka asked. Azula looked affronted.

"How dare you? Here I am, finding the best prospect for you so far, and you think this is all a joke to me?" she asked. Sokka waved a hand carelessly.

"Fine, fine. But if she stabs me I'll hold you responsible for it in the afterlife, got it?" he said. Azula smirked.

"I'll have to live with that," she said, beaming as Sokka climbed off the carriage. Azula doubted Mai would stab him, in fact was sure she wouldn't, but whatever would result from this particular attempt to find Sokka a romantic partner should be hilarious enough.

Sokka swallowed hard as he stopped at the door. He could do this. He had to be able to do this. Mai couldn't possibly dislike him that much, he was far more fun than Zuko! Though, from what Sokka understood of Mai, she didn't really care for fun. Or maybe she did? She probably had a very strange definition of what counted for fun, anyways. Weirder than Azula's, which was saying something.

The thought made him realize Mai would likely be harder to understand than the Princess for him. Sure, she was sarcastic too, but how on earth was he going to keep her happy? Maybe Mai didn't want to be happy? If she didn't want to be happy, did she want a relationship at all? And if he wanted to be happy, but she didn't, what the hell was he supposed to do for her? Make her miserable? Would that actually work? He doubted it…

"Gotta do it. Just gotta do it. Stop doubting yourself, Sokka…!" he said, taking a deep breath and readying himself to knock on the door.

"It's open, you know?"

Sokka yelped and turned quickly, finding the very girl he was looking for was behind him, eyeing him with confusion and slight annoyance, carrying some bags in her arms. It seemed she had been running errands, and was only coming back to the shop right now. Sokka swallowed hard.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, sighing when she recognized him. "Does Zuko want anything?"

"W-why would he…? I mean, you think the only reason I'd come here would be because he wanted something?" Sokka asked. Mai raised her eyebrows.

"Yes? The only link between you and me is Zuko, isn't it?" she answered, moving past him towards the door. "What is it, are you trying to win Suki over again? Flowers alone won't do it for you, you know…"

"N-no, I… I wasn't going to do that," said Sokka, swallowing hard.

"No? Then why are you here?" said Mai, opening the door and standing on the threshold to look at Sokka. He looked at her nervously.

"I, uh, I was thinking that… that you know, you're… single, right?" he asked. Mai's narrow eyes became narrower yet.

"What?" she said. Sokka flinched.

"I mean… well, see, I was wondering, since you and I are so sarcastic! And, uh, you hate the world, the world hates me, wouldn't it be fun if we, uh… tried our luck t-together?"

Mai continued to stare at him through her cold, sharp eyes. Sokka looked at her with uncertainty.

And then she slammed the door on his face.

Sokka blinked a few times and shook his head. Well, darn it, maybe he should have tried a different approach… but frankly he wasn't that disappointed by the outcome. He didn't think he was ready for the emotional investment required for a relationship with Mai.

Still, he was definitely ready for an emotional outburst right now, as he turned to glare at the carriage, a frown with a pout on his face. He stormed his way towards it and pulled the door open brusquely… and to no surprise of his, the Fire Nation Princess was laughing so hard there were tears blinking in the corners of her eyes.

"You set me up!" Sokka exclaimed. "You knew that wasn't going to work, didn't you?!"

"Oh, I thought it wouldn't but it was funnier yet to watch it happen…!" Azula replied, laughing harder.

Sokka huffed and climbed on the carriage after telling the driver to take them back to the Palace. Azula was still laughing, looking at him furtively as she tried to dry her tears with her hands, while the carriage started moving.

"Funny, funny, funny. You really have one hell of a sense of humor, you know that?!" Sokka exclaimed, waving his arms around and glaring at her still.

"Hell, it was hilarious, Sokka, like it or not," she said, as he glared from the seat across her.

"I beg to differ! I seriously feared for my life for a moment there, I thought she was going to pull one of her knives and…! Stop laughing, woman! It's not funny!"

"I wish I could say I'm sorry, but I'm really not sorry at all…" said Azula, chuckling still. "Ah, well. It was worth it."

"What the hell did I ever do to you so you'd feel the need to do that, huh?!" Sokka exclaimed, blushing. "Is this like… revenge for discovering your love for romance novels?"

"No, it's revenge for jumping into my bed without permission and refusing to leave it despite of how nicely I asked…" she said. Sokka's eyes widened with affront.

"Oh, so now that's a bad thing?!" he exclaimed. "You didn't complain one bit about it the other two nights, did you?!"

"That was different, we were in an airship, it wasn't my actual bed!" said Azula, with a sardonic grin.

"So then you're fine if I jump into your bed so long as it's not _your_ bed?" Sokka asked, raising his eyebrows. Azula shrugged.

"Basically…?" she said, with a weak smiled. Sokka shook his head.

"Very well, then, very well. That's how you want it," he said, cracking his knuckles.

"Oh, you're not going to get into a fight with me in a moving carriage, are you, Sokka?" Azula asked, looking at him skeptically.

"You underestimate how reckless I can be!" he exclaimed. He stayed put for a moment, his hands held up as Azula stared at him in disbelief. He wasn't going to do anything, he didn't have the…

He had waited just the right time for her to drop her guard, and when she had, his hands had darted right towards her flanks. Azula yelped when she realized what his attack actually meant: he wasn't going to hurt her, only to tickle her. And unfortunately for her, she happened to be ticklish indeed.

"No! Oh, shit, Sokka, stop!" she exclaimed, the curse slipping out of her before she could hold it in.

Sokka laughed maniacally as she tried to shove him off, but he stood his ground, his fingers sliding over her body masterfully, finding weak spots that made her laugh. She recoiled from him, but she still failed to hold her own against his tickling fingers.

"Stop it! C-cut it out I said, Sokka, damn it…!" she cried out between laughs, choosing to drop on the floor of the carriage in her desperate attempt to get out of his grasp, but Sokka didn't stop tickling her regardless.

She could bend at him, but she found she didn't want to. She didn't want to be tickled, that was for sure, but she didn't hate this altogether. If anything, maybe she liked their closeness far more than she should, far more than she should allow herself to like it…

He was positioned atop her, his legs locked with hers again, his face inches away from hers as he smiled with malice, keeping her pinned to the floor. She smacked him with open palms, but it barely hurt at all when she couldn't deliver real damage, too weakened by his tickle attack. To his surprise, she tried to tickle him back at a certain point, but he managed to hold his own against her and kept her from succeeding at her counter-attack.

She surrendered eventually, her hands on his arms as she threw her head back and laughed, as she heard Sokka chuckling as he continued to tickle her. Oh how tempted he was to kiss that exposed neck, or bite it… he caught himself in the middle of that thought. He swallowed hard as he stopped tickling her, his fingers finally giving her a chance to breathe deeply, a soft moan escaping her lips with every breath.

She glanced at him, her head tilted sideways as their eyes met.

"Had your fill?" she asked. He smiled.

"Maybe," he said, enigmatically. "Though I can't say I'm not tempted to do it again…"

"Jerk," said Azula, smiling as well. Sokka chuckled.

"I thought you'd fight me off a little more vigorously," he said, raising his eyebrows. "It's odd that you didn't…"

"I just… didn't think it'd be appropriate if either of us ended up flying through a carriage door," she said, swallowing. Sokka smiled.

"Thoughtful," he whispered, still holding her gaze with his own. "It was a good call."

Azula nodded, her lips parted as she looked at him. She didn't think she had ended up in as many close-quarter encounters with someone as she had with Sokka: their faces were barely inches apart, something that had happened between them several times in the last two days, not to mention in their very first personal showdowns…

"We're doing this again, huh?" she muttered. Sokka frowned.

"What?" he asked.

"This thing of… of ending up in each other's personal space like this," she said. Sokka gulped.

"S-sorry. I guess I'm crushing you…" he said. Azula raised her eyebrows.

"Crushing me, huh…" she whispered, and he swallowed hard.

"I mean, well… you know what I mean," he said, with a crooked smile. Azula laughed again.

"I do. It's still fun to mix things up, though," she said. "If you were crushing on me, though, I guess you'd do something other than talk when we end up in these situations…"

"Well, now, I kissed your forehead the other night," he said, smiling. She stifled another laugh.

"Right. You did," she conceded. "But I'm not angry this time so… so you don't have to do anything if you don't want to."

"No, I guess… I guess not," said Sokka, swallowing again.

His throat was so dry, so terribly dry, and her lips were so beckoning, and her eyes were gleaming, and despite she was saying he didn't have to do anything, all he wanted was to cut the distance between them…

"But what if…?" he started, uncertain, yet her gleaming golden eyes helped him make up his mind. "What if I want to?"

Her cheeks had already been red after he had subjected her to the tickle assault, but their color deepened as Sokka waited for an answer. When she didn't give him one he moved closer, his eyes still on hers, knowing his own cheeks were flushed now as he hovered at a breath's distance from her.

When he finally closed in he did it with a soft kiss, so gentle Azula barely had a chance to react. He pulled away and looked at her, swallowing hard, so uncertain his arms were shivering as he held his weight above her with is hands. Were her wide eyes a good sign? If she hadn't liked it she would have pushed him off altogether, right…?

Her hand moved to find his chest, the other going to the nape of his neck. If he had any doubts of what she wanted, they were cleared away when she lunged forth and kissed him eagerly, even recklessly. He almost laughed in relief, almost: he had something more important to do with his mouth than laugh. So he kissed her back with the same enthusiasm, seeking to rival her passion with his own as her arms encircled his neck.

The kisses they exchanged were each more delightful than the previous one. They were in an awful position as they lay on the carriage floor, but it was easy to forget their bodies were contorted as they kissed deeply, caressing one another so intimately, both with their mouths and with their hands. Oh, it was better than anything they could have imagined it would be. Sokka felt his chest setting ablaze with desire, with joy, with that same thrill he'd had felt when he had been kissed by Yue the first time… but this time he wasn't going to be left standing in the dark, unsure of what was happening. This time he wouldn't have his heart broken immediately after a heartfelt kiss: this time it was Azula. And they were making out heavily, ferociously, in the most fascinating way Sokka had been kissed at all…

But their enjoyable exchange ended abruptly when the carriage jumped, surely over having bumped some obstacle on the route that the driver had decided they could ride over. Sokka and Azula were startled out of their daze, their lips reddened, their eyes wide. Okay… what on earth had they just done?

"I don't think… I don't think lying on the floor of a carriage is a great idea," Azula said, blushing deeply. Sokka nodded.

"N-no, it wasn't, I think. Uh, let me help you…" he said, as he sat back up on a carriage seat, pulling Azula towards him by taking her hand in his.

"So now we'll sit on the same side?" Azula asked. Sokka smiled.

"If we don't it'll be a bit harder to do this," he said, before cupping her face and kissing her again.

She had actually thought he'd apologize, say he shouldn't have done it… but he hadn't. Oh, he hadn't, and every kiss tasted of wonders, she thought, as she surrounded his neck with her arms again. Was this the way all those book heroines felt when their lovers kissed them? She guessed as much, though most of them didn't get to be kissed that often… she was lucky Sokka seemed as invested into kissing her as she was. She was lucky he wanted to kiss her at all…

Their passionate exchanges kept them from talking through the trip back to the Palace, and Azula was delighted as they traded more than just kisses: his hands were traveling over her body, but no longer with the intent of making her laugh. Now he wanted to take his time to feel her body, to learn all he could about it… She moaned softly when she felt his hands caressing her breasts gently. Sokka swallowed hard, pulling his hands back, unsure if he had crossed an unspoken boundary.

"You can touch me too, you know… if you want," he gasped, his forehead against hers. She nodded.

"So can you," she whispered, leaning in to steal another kiss from him. "You can touch me, that is, not yourself. That'd be a little awkward…"

Sokka laughed, and so did she, as Azula as good as repeated his awkward interaction with Suki. He cupped her face and kissed her deeply again, his hands on her face as hers traveled over his body, making out his strong chest and arms…

And then the carriage shifted in its movements again, now heading upwards brusquely. Azula and Sokka were taken by surprise by the change of direction, but the Princess nodded as she realized what it meant.

"We're already entering the Capital. We were awfully quick this time around…" she said, biting her lip. Sokka smiled.

"Hopefully it's not that the driver's sped up because of what we're doing back here," he whispered, before leaning close to kiss her again. Azula smiled. "Hell, why does it feel so good to do this with you?"

"No idea," she said, before cupping his face and returning his kiss gladly. "But you might as well just make the most of it."

"I guess I should," said Sokka, smirking. "At least until we start heading downwards again, right? Then we'll have to act like we're so very appropriate and we don't make out crazily on carriages…"

"Yeah, exactly," said Azula, smiling as well as Sokka kissed her eagerly again.

She didn't present any opposition, not in the slightest, to anything he did. He indulged in kissing her neck as he had wanted to earlier, and all she did was moan and hold his head close to her. Unsurprisingly, Sokka's body started to react to their exchanges, though he wasn't all too thrilled about it. He wasn't sure what he'd make of a potential boner if they'd be arriving into the Palace soon. Still, curse all caution, he continued to kiss and suck on her neck, and Azula gasped and moaned more, her hands slipping into his hair. It felt so good, so right…

Just as she was about to make up her mind to throw herself at him fully right then and here, the carriage turned directions again as it started to head downwards. By then Sokka was kissing her lips again, his hands massaging her breasts once more. He groaned in irritation.

"Just a little longer. The Palace is still far…" he whispered. Azula returned his kiss with a soft groan.

"At this rate we won't stop at all…" she said.

"So what?" he replied, smiling before kissing her again. "I told you we'd be great at this. And hell, we are…"

"Curses, Sokka…" she whispered. Why was he so convincing? He needed to cut it out, or else she really would give him her everything right then and there. "We need to… to calm down. Right?"

"Maybe," he said, kissing her cheek. "Damn but you're just so… so kissable, damn it."

Azula laughed, dropping her face on his shoulder, and he joined her with his laughter too. His arms were still around her as she rested against him.

"You're crazy. You really are," she said, smiling as she let him hold her. Sokka sighed happily.

"And you're so addictive. Damn, we should've made the most of that airship trip…" he said, chuckling. Azula smiled.

"Maybe we should have," she agreed, to his surprise. She caressed his chest gently as he sat properly again, his back against the seat's backrests, his chest heaving.

His shirt had wound up slightly open, so he tightened his belt as Azula tried to fix her hair. He smiled and took her hairpiece and hair tie from her, ushering her to seat with her back towards him so he could help her. Azula had already enjoyed their previous exchanges, and it was truly thrilling as well to feel his fingers sliding through her long, dark tresses.

"Your hair's so pretty, you know?" he said, sighing happily as the scent of her hair product reached his nostrils. "And it smells wonderful."

"You do realize you don't need to compliment me like that to make me kiss you again, don't you?" Azula asked. Sokka smiled as he finished fixing her hair, and he surrounded her from behind, his head on her shoulder.

"What do I need to do for that, then?" he asked. Azula smiled.

"Ask," she said, before pecking his lips softly. "You really think you're the only one who's enjoying this?"

"Heh, I didn't really think so, but I did think I was the overly eager one," he said, chuckling and nuzzling her neck.

Azula sighed happily as he nibbled on her skin. Why did that feel so good? She had no idea, but she was starting to want his hands all over her once more…

She turned, hoping to kiss him and convey her urges to him, but she caught sight of the book he had brought with him on the opposite seat. She smiled.

"I think you didn't read much on the trip back, huh?" she said. Sokka chuckled.

"Woops. Forgot completely," he said, kissing her cheek before reaching out for the book. "I'll try to give it a proper read later. Maybe during dinner, or…"

"You're planning on… on eating at the Palace?" Azula asked, raising her eyebrows a little. Sokka blinked a few times, looking at her in surprise as she turned in his arms.

"Well, I was, unless… unless you have a better idea?" he said. She smiled.

"I just thought… well, there's a nice restaurant in the city," she said. "I think it's bound to be a place to your liking. That is, if you'd like to go."

"Huh. Really?" Sokka asked, looking at her with amazement. Azula shrugged.

"It's only an idea," she said. He beamed.

"Yeah. I… I'd like that," he said, his hand reaching down to find hers.

She breathed out, dropping her head against the back of the carriage, the most embarrassingly idiotic smile on her face. Yet she couldn't quite stop smiling even if she tried. What had happened between them just now was completely beyond her expectations. And they'd eat together, and who knew what might happen after that, if they just carried on like this…

Sokka seemed to be just as amazed as she was, gazing at her with gentle eyes as his fingers intertwined with hers. This was surreal, and simultaneously the most amazing thing that had happened to him in a very long time. He smiled as he caressed her hand with his thumb, and when she turned to gaze at him he gave her a happy grin. She chuckled.

"Alright, you enjoyed it. I got it" she said, blushing as she turned to look at the front again. Sokka laughed.

"That's the best first kiss I've had in… well, I don't know, but probably in forever," he said, chuckling. "My first with Yue was confusing. The first with Suki was just to shut her up, but while it was less confusing it wasn't quite as thrilling as this one. I was happy to kiss her, but just now with you I was… Heck, I don't know what I was, but I'm dying to do it again."

Azula smiled.

"Well, we feel the same way, I guess. It's not like I've got too much to compare this to, but my first kiss wasn't really anything compared to this," she said. Sokka smirked proudly.

"Glad to hear it," he said, his head held high. Azula laughed.

"You can stop being so proud about it…"

"And why should I?" he said, chuckling. "It was so good, damn it! Can't we do it again yet? No?"

"Wait until later, stop being so desperate," she said, smiling. Sokka's eyes lit up regardless.

"So… later?"

"When we're not in risk of having our carriage door pulled open by my brother or someone annoying like him," said Azula. Sokka beamed.

"I like the sound of that," he said, leaning close if only to kiss the tip of her nose. Azula smiled.

"You really can't hold back?" she asked, he shook his head.

"Your fault entirely, of course. Stop being so kissable for ten minutes and I'll hold back," he said, smirking. Azula raised her eyebrows.

"How am I supposed to do that?" she asked. Sokka shrugged.

"If you don't know how then I guess I'll just keep kissing you all day…" he said, smiling mischievously.

Azula laughed, dropping her head on his shoulder. Warm feelings were spreading over her chest. How had this happened, she still didn't know. But curses, it was wonderful and she couldn't quite get enough of it either. The only reason she wasn't kissing him all over right now was because she had actually wanted a moment to level her head again, but the more she leveled it, the more she longed to lose her mind in another of his kisses…

The carriage stopped, though, and she breathed deeply as she realized they'd be heading into the Palace again now. She felt so very tempted to invite him to read more in her room, which could easily evolve into something else afterwards… curses, she was in too deep. She liked him so very much she could barely take it. How had such feelings been born so quickly, and so powerfully too?

"So, uh, what now?" Sokka asked, raising his eyebrows as he looked at her. Azula shrugged.

"I guess that's up to you… I should probably send a messenger hawk, make sure we can get a table at the place I mentioned," she said. Sokka beamed.

"Sounds like it must be good, huh?" he said. Azula smiled.

"I'm sure it'll be to your liking," she said. "I think I know your predilection for certain kinds of food well enough…"

"You probably do," said Sokka, smirking.

"Still, there's the matter of… of everyone else," she said, raising her eyebrows. "I mean, are we really…?"

"Well, I think… I think time will tell if we are or aren't. But for now, at least, I think we are?" Sokka said. Azula laughed.

"Are you just saying that so you can still get away with kissing me?" she asked. He smirked.

"Caught red-handed. Or red-lipped?" he said, raising an eyebrow. "Either way, I wouldn't mind getting away with it again…"

But before he could lean in to kiss her once more indeed, an unmistakable roar shook through the Palace ground, and Sokka flinched away from Azula, his eyes wide with fear. Azula as well was no stranger to the sound.

"Isn't that the Avatar's beast?" she asked, looking at Sokka with uncertainty.

He gulped and pulled the curtain of one of the windows just enough so he could gaze out of it… and he confirmed that Appa was indeed in the Palace courtyard, seemingly gesturing towards them with jerks of his head. Sokka winced.

"Damn it, I think Aang's here. And if Aang's here…"

"Your sister," Azula growled, pulling her hand away from his. Sokka cringed.

"Okay, so, uh… for now we keep this, whatever it is, quiet, right?" he said, looking at her warily. "The last thing I want is my sister flying into a crazy rage because we kissed…"

"Should she really? I mean, is it her business at all if you kiss someone?" she asked. Sokka shrugged.

"Probably not, but…" he started, though he held back from finishing the sentence.

Katara's concern wouldn't be over mere kisses, but rather, over something far deeper developing between Sokka and Azula. And from what Sokka was feeling right now, he was well on his way towards developing deeper feelings for her at this rate. He really didn't know how things had escalated so much so fast, but curses, all he wanted was to kiss her again, and be with her through the night, and wake up by her side as he had the last two days… he had no doubt he understood the nature of his feelings, but he hadn't expected to end up feeling this towards her, of all people. Yet given her reactions to his advances, the fact that she hadn't pushed him away a single time… it might mean that maybe she felt it, too.

"But?" Azula asked, swallowing hard. Sokka breathed in deeply. Could he tell her this without ruining the sudden and amazing progress between them?

Yet the carriage door swung open brusquely, stopping Sokka from saying anything compromising or troublesome right away. Still, the door that swung open also meant their time together was to be cut short, whether they liked it or not.

"Ah! Here you are!" Aang exclaimed, beaming before putting his hands at either side of his mouth and turning around. "Katara! I found Sokka! He's in this carriage with Azula!"

Azula covered her face with her hands as Sokka blushed deeply. Damn it all. That was the perfect way to kill their mood for sure.

"Though, that's odd, why are you two in a carriage?" Aang asked. Azula looked at him skeptically.

"Maybe we were going somewhere?" she said, rolling her eyes before moving to climb down the carriage. Sokka sighed and followed.

"Oh. Sorry for intruding, then," said Aang, laughing awkwardly and scratching the back of his head. "Sokka just disappeared on us all out of the blue, and we were worried about what was up…"

"I left a note at my place, didn't you guys see it?" Sokka asked.

"Momo ate it," said Aang, grimacing as the lemur in question leapt on Sokka's shoulder, his green eyes wide open as he perched atop him. "We weren't sure what was going on, but we remembered you said something about Azula visiting Republic City, so we thought maybe you'd come back here with her and…"

"And we were right. What a relief," said Katara, smiling as she approached. "For a moment there we really thought something bad could have happened to you…"

"Nothing did, nothing did," said Sokka, waving a hand carelessly. "Though, how the heck did you guys get here so fast? Appa kept whining and asking for breaks back when we invaded the Fire Nation the first time, remember? How did he make it here so easily this time around?"

"Oh, well, we kind of pressed him to go as fast as possible," said Katara, with a weak grin. "Just like in the day of Sozin's Comet, remember?"

"Huh. Well, maybe it's also because there was just the two of you, right?" he asked, but just as he finished asking the question he noticed Katara and Aang weren't alone: there were three younger people rushing towards them just now, dressed in Air Nomad clothes. "Or maybe Appa was just a whiner back in the days of the war, huh?"

"Oh, don't be so mean. You're spending too much time with Azula," said Katara. Azula scoffed.

"So you found Sokka!" one of the two girls exclaimed when she and her friends reached them. Sokka smiled awkwardly.

"Xin Ying, Yee Li, Jingbo…" he said. "Nice seeing you all, heh."

"It's good to know you're safe, Sokka," said Yee Li, looking at him with a gentle smile.

Azula's immediate instinct was to glare at the girl. So yet another girl was infatuated with him. No surprises there, of course.

"As safe as can be, anyways," said Katara, with a weak grin. "What are you two up to anyways? I mean, you've been traveling around a lot together…"

"Why, I'm just putting your brother in the riskiest situations I can get away with. Seeing how he's just not going to be safe if he's around me…" said Azula, rolling her eyes as she walked off. Sokka grimaced, a hand reaching out to stop her but she had already moved out of his reach.

"H-hey, I didn't mean…!" Katara said, her eyes widening as Azula left. She swallowed hard. "Okay, I guess I need to cut her some slack."

"You really should," Sokka growled, pouting. "I mean, I've been around her for three days and so far she's tried to kill a grand total of… uh… okay, at least one time, I kind of stepped on a landmine there, but I got out of it unscathed!"

"Wait, she tried to what?!" Katara asked, her eyes wide. Sokka shook his head.

"It's not as bad as it sounds! It was, uh… eh, actually? You don't want to know," he said, swallowing hard.

"Sokka, if she's putting you at risk…!"

"She isn't, okay? Not more than you or Toph would," said Sokka, with a reassuring smile. "We're doing fine. Everything's fine with me and Azula."

"Heh. Well, I'll try to believe that…" said Katara, frowning.

"What's that?" Jingbo asked, pointing at what Sokka was holding in his right hand.

He jumped when he noticed he was holding the romance book he had taken from Azula's room. And it was in plain sight for them all. Shit. He had to think fast right now…

"A book about love?" Aang asked, laughing. "Well, what's that about?"

"That doesn't suit your manly man image, Sokka…" said Katara, smirking as he blushed.

"I-it's not mine!" Sokka exclaimed, holding his tongue last minute before giving out information he wasn't allowed to disclose.

"Oh? Whose is it then? I doubt it's Azula's," said Katara, chuckling. "Or is it?"

Sokka gritted his teeth and glanced at the Palace building, but Azula was nowhere on sight – or was she that silhouette that had disappeared through a corridor just now? He didn't know what to do, only that he couldn't let his sister discover it really was Azula's…

"N-no, I… I borrowed it at the library," Sokka lied. "I just thought it'd help, you know? Since things between me and Suki went awry, you know…"

"Oh? So now you'll read romance books for educational purposes?" said Katara, smiling. "That's funny, but if it works for you…"

"Yeah, yeah, obviously you don't care for books of the sort because you're in some idyllic, perfect, unbreakable relationship," Sokka said, mockingly. Aang and Katara exchanged a sweet look and he groaned. "Ugh, whatever. Now you know I'm safe, so we can just…"

"We actually came to talk to Zuko about a few things regarding Republic City too, you know," said Aang. "I could use having you there, if you don't mind."

Sokka grimaced. Not now, not when all he wanted to do was race after Azula, pin her to some wall, kiss her until he was breathless and their lips were sore…!

"Really? Just now?" he asked. Aang nodded.

"Why? Have anything else to do?" he asked. Sokka sighed.

"N-no, I guess," he muttered. Curse his awful luck. He couldn't get things right in love at all, could he?

"Well, then, you two go deal with that," said Katara, smiling. "And I'll go talk with Azula. I have the feeling she's not exactly happy… she glared at us kind of dangerously just before she entered the Palace."

"She did?" asked Sokka, worried. Katara waved a hand carelessly.

"I'll apologize, she'll probably relax after I do," she said. "See you two later, Sokka, Sweetie."

She had to kiss Aang before taking off, of course, to Sokka's irritation. He made up his mind to do the same with Azula whenever he had a chance… that is, if she wasn't too mad by the interruption to refuse to kiss him altogether. She wouldn't do that, would she? It wasn't Sokka's fault that his sister and future-brother-in-law had such a bad timing…

Yet he indeed had no idea that the Princess was, indeed, angry at him too. She had turned to glance at him again, fearing he'd be struggling to deal with his sister and all her companions, just in time to see him clutching her book with unease while exclaiming it wasn't his. Rage had risen inside her as she realized the promise he had sworn he'd keep had likely been broken already. Curse him. Why had she been stupid enough to trust him? She shook her head and carried on, making her way to the dining area, her mind set on finding something to stuff her face with that would help her stop thinking about Sokka…

"Azula? Where had you been?" Suki asked, looking at Azula in surprise as she lifted her gaze from her drink. She seemed to be in the middle of an afternoon snack in the dining room. Azula scoffed.

"Do I need to report everywhere I go to you, by any chance?" she snapped. Suki flinched.

"I was just wondering… you and Sokka disappeared, and Aang showed up looking for him," she said.

"Well, the Avatar has found him alright. So you can stop worrying," she said, making her way into the kitchen and loading up with the most unusual kind of food for her to eat.

When she came out of the kitchen carrying sweets in her arms, Suki could only stare at her in utter confusion. Azula blushed and glared.

"What?"

"Just… since when do you eat…?"

"It's none of your business," Azula snapped, but before she could leave she found her exit blocked by the newly arriving Katara, along with her three Air Acolyte friends. Azula's anger only rose with that. "Oh, joy. You came after me. What do you want?"

"Y-you don't have to be so antagonistic, okay?" said Katara, stepping forward and looking at Azula worriedly. Azula was stiff, frowning in her direction. The older of the Acolytes, along with the only boy, made their way to the kitchen too to help themselves to food as well. The other one stayed by Katara's side.

"I don't? Really?" she asked, glaring at her. Surely Katara had come to laugh in her face, now that Sokka had told every last one of them about her interest in romance novels…

"Yeah, I mean… I'm sorry for earlier," said Katara. "I didn't mean to be so mean. I just… have a hard time forgetting the past at times, and I know that's wrong. I'm sorry, though, really."

Azula looked at her with distrust, and Katara noticed it. She'd have to try harder if she really wanted to learn to get along with her.

"Are you worried I'll just corrupt your dear brother's mind, by any chance?" she asked. Katara grimaced.

"Well… no, I guess he's too stubborn for something like that," she said. "I'm just a little surprised you two are spending so much time together lately, is all."

"Sokka is a kind-hearted young man," said Yee Li. "Surely they're just good friends."

"Huh," said Azula, looking at the girl with skepticism. "As a matter of fact, you're mistaken. Sokka and I…? We're more than good friends."

Katara stiffened at that, and Yee Li's eyes widened. Suki as well, sitting at her table, glanced at her with interest, thinking Azula would confirm what she and Zuko had suspected earlier. Azula smirked before explaining.

"He's turned me into his love adviser," she said, and Katara released her breath in relief. Suki's interest changed into confusion, but she guessed it only meant Azula and Sokka weren't together after all.

"Wow, you almost got me there," said Katara, smiling awkwardly. Azula tried to hold back the urge to shove one of the cakes she'd taken into the waterbender's face. Did she really think it'd be that bad if she and Sokka were more than just friends?

"Did I?" Azula asked, bitterly. The Air Acolyte was also amused, apparently, but she seemed more intrigued than anything.

"What does that mean, exactly?" she asked. Azula smirked.

"It means I'm helping him find his perfect girl, that's what it means," she said. "Though as of late I'm out of ideas, but…"

She glanced at Yee Li with uncertainty, and her eyes were soon filled with malice. Yes, the asshole deserved it. He had it coming after giving away her secrets, despite he had promised he'd never do that…

"Perhaps you'll do," she said. Katara jumped as Yee Li blushed deeply.

"W-what, me?" she asked.

"Wait, but… are you sure of that?" Katara asked, looking at Yee Li with uncertainty. "You want to be with Sokka?"

"I-I… w-well, he's a handsome man, and I've always thought that maybe, if he hadn't been with someone, well…"

"Really?!" Katara said, her eyes wide. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Well, was I supposed to?" Yee Li said, swallowing hard and blushing.

"Not really, she's not Sokka's love adviser. But I am," said Azula, smirking. "So, tell me. How would you like to go on a date with that handsome man?"

"I-I would like that, I guess… but you can just arrange that?" Yee Li asked. Azula smiled and nodded.

"Leave it to me," she said, before letting the girl know where she'd find Sokka that night. Yee Li smiled happily as Katara looked at her in disbelief still.

"Really, though? Sokka?" she repeated. Yee Li only blushed and shrugged.

* * *

The meeting with Aang and Zuko was long and tiresome. Aang hadn't been too thrilled by the idea of the creation of an army to defend Republic City, driven pacifist he was, but Zuko had insisted they couldn't relax and lower their guard in regards of the United Republic's defense. They needed to be able to provide protection to their people, and Sokka had agreed to that. Only, finding people who would gladly work for that purpose would prove somewhat difficult. Endless diplomacy would be required if they expected to achieve this goal, and Sokka wasn't sure he'd have the patience for it. At least, he knew he didn't have it when his mind was only filled with Azula as it was: he had spent the meeting reliving the delightful sensations she had elicited in him with every kiss, how her lips had wrapped so wonderfully around his, and curses, the warmth of her curved body…

It often took him a moment to realize he was in a daze, and he was lucky Zuko and Aang had been too intent on arguing to notice Sokka kept spacing out. He was especially happy that neither of his friends were mind benders, or else they might be able to see what he was thinking about… and the idea of Zuko discovering the lewd thoughts he was having about his sister was slightly scary. He doubted Zuko would play the protective brother indeed, but he'd rather keep that sort of thing secret from him anyways. He knew he wanted to know nothing about what Aang and Katara got up to in bed, so he fully understood if Zuko wanted to keep proper distance from his sister's love life. It would be better if he did, for all the involved.

He stopped at his room once the meeting was over, guessing he'd change into a better outfit for his dinner with Azula tonight. He smiled at the thought: was this a date? Was everything they'd done these days a really long date, rather? He wasn't sure, actually. Still, he smiled as he pulled his belt, his shirt coming loose. But before he could start fixing his appearance, he found a note on his mattress.

 _Meet me at the Flaming Moo-sow, at 7. The reservation is under my name. Dressing appropriately is optional._

Sokka's eyes lit up as he picked up the small paper. So they were still on! Yes!

He hurried at cleaning up, doing his best to look and smell nice before their encounter. He had a good feeling about this night, he really did. This could only end in good things, he was sure, and he'd make sure to give Azula the time of her life. She wouldn't regret this, not at all…!

He fetched a carriage once he was fully clean, dressed in the best outfit he had brought with him. He wasn't sure what she had meant about dressing appropriately, but either way, he guessed it wouldn't matter much. She did say it was optional, right?

The carriage stopped at an odd-looking establishment, one that seemed to stand out within the Capital, and not because of how luxurious it looked, but rather, the entire opposite. Sokka frowned. This was where she wanted to eat? Granted he didn't mind, but it seemed to go against what he knew and understood of Azula.

He smiled, guessing she had only chosen it for his benefit. The idea of her showing such consideration towards him made him feel even more eager to sit by her side again, to kiss her deeply as they waited for the food to arrive… because he really didn't think he'd know how to hold back. The wonderful burning feeling in his chest made him reckless and foolish, but he liked Azula too much to care.

"Hello. I'm here under Princess Azula's reservation…?" he said to the receptionist.

The young man nodded and led him inside, passing a red curtain to reveal a very disorderly, noisy and odd establishment. There was a bar at one end of the room, there were wooden tables at the opposite end, and there were many large and burly men talking loudly and aggressively. Sokka swallowed hard, thinking now that maybe he would have been better off with a slightly more opulent restaurant, if it meant they could eat without fearing brawls of any kind.

"Here's your table," said the man, gesturing at a table near the door… and Sokka's eyes lit up when he saw there was someone there already… yet it wasn't someone with black hair. No, it was brown, and her clothes were orange and yellow, and…

"Wait, are you sure?" he asked, looking at the guy in confusion. "I mean, that's not Princess…"

"The Princess made her reservation stating explicitly that she wouldn't be the one dining with us," the man said. Sokka's eyes widened.

"Wait, huh?"

"Sokka?"

Yee Li had turned upon noticing his voice. Sokka gave her a painfully awkward smile that she took with a happy grin, and he swallowed hard as he made his way to the table. Okay, what the hell was going on…?

"Hey," he said, with an awkward smile. "S-so… what's up?"

"I guess you're confused," said Yee Li, smiling too. "The Princess explained she's your love adviser, and asked if I'd like to go on a date with you, so…"

Sokka's eyes widened. What? He thought that, after what they'd shared in the carriage earlier, Azula would have given up on that pointless ordeal by now. Why would she still be finding girls for him, and giving them the chance to eat with him, when they had drawn plans for the two of them already…?

"I hope you're okay with that. She did say you'd likely be a little surprised," said Yee Li. Sokka swallowed hard and shook his head.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm okay. I'll just… uh, we can just start ordering, right?" he said, smiling as he picked up a menu. His mind had been racing, worrisome thoughts scrolling through his head, but his mouth started watering as he read the options. "Ah, hell, this is a good place if they really serve these sorts of dishes…"

"What sorts of dishes?" Yee Li asked. Sokka smiled eagerly.

"Their specialty is moo-sow steak, accompanied by pig-chicken legs and…!"

When he saw the look of disgust in Yee Li's face he fell silent immediately. He frowned.

"Uh, damn. I forgot you're vegetarian," said Sokka. Yee Li smiled awkwardly.

"I'll eat a salad," she said. "It's not a problem if you'd like to eat meat, you always do…"

"Uh, sure, but all they've got is a seafood salad," said Sokka. Yee Li's smile waned.

"What? N-no vegetables?"

"Well, here's some fried onion with noodles… and chunks of crab and roasted duck?"

The look on Yee Li's face spoke for itself. Sokka grimaced.

"I guess not, huh?" he said. She sighed. "C-can't you make an exception? I mean, you weren't an Air Acolyte all your life, it's not like you've always been vegetarian…"

"Maybe we should go someplace else," said Yee Li. Sokka raised an eyebrow.

"I've got the feeling everywhere else will be full by now. If this place works by reservations I think there's a chance the others will do the same…"

"Well… damn. I really can't eat any of this," she said. "It's not whether I can or can't make an exception, I just really don't want to…"

"Heh. You'll miss out on the wonders of meat, then," he said, sighing. "But then… maybe we should call it a night. I mean, it'd be uncomfortable if I stuff myself with food you hate while you sit there wishing you could have a cabbage…"

"I… I don't just eat cabbage, you know," said Yee Li, smiling awkwardly. Sokka shrugged.

"Well, whatever veggies you like," he said. "Anyways, it wouldn't sit right with me. And I won't make you give up on your lifestyle either. So maybe we should just go back to the Palace, they must have salads there…"

"But…" said Yee Li, as Sokka stood up. "If we do that, we… we won't be by ourse-…"

"Come on. Let's go," said Sokka, ushering her to move with a jerk of his head.

He was just a little eager to get out of here, despite the food had indeed sounded delicious. But he needed to talk to Azula right now. He couldn't understand why she'd done what she'd done, and he absolutely needed to do so right away. Had he misunderstood anything between them? Did she just not want him at all?

Azula dropped on her bed, the book about the princess and the general lying next to her. She sighed, caressing its cover as she buried her face in her pillow. Neither Aang nor Katara had teased her about her taste in novels through the evening, and yet she had sent Sokka off with that other girl, Yee Li, to dinner together. It seemed Sokka had kept the secret somehow after all, but she had been too stupid to read him properly. She had jumped to the first conclusion, and who was surprised by that, really? She had a tendency to do that, and to assume things were worse than they really were. Her trust issues were slightly out of control after the war, especially with whoever grew close to her…

When she heard a knock on her door she sat up promptly, her eyes wide. Was it him? If it was she would apologize, she had to… well, that is, unless he had come to tell her that her little ploy had backfired on her and that Yee Li was the love of his life. She grimaced before straightening her clothes and covering the book with the sheet.

"Come in," she said.

Her heart fell when the person at the other side of the door was Zuko. She tried not to look too disappointed by that, but she feared she had failed at it. Zuko took a deep breath and closed the door behind him.

"Azula… is everything okay?" he asked. She huffed.

"What's it to you? I'm fine," she growled. Zuko shook his head.

"I don't think so," he said. "I… I'm worried about you, alright? Whatever's going on with you and Sokka…"

"Nothing's going on with me and Sokka," Azula snapped.

"I guess not, but all that talk about being his love adviser is weird," said Zuko, frowning. "Is that really what you are?"

"What, think I can't help him with that?" she asked. He swallowed hard and shook his head.

"No, that's not what I… well, to be honest, I guess I just feel guilty about his love life, in a sense," he said. Azula huffed.

"As you should," she growled. Zuko sighed.

"I just don't want you paying for what I did to him, okay? I know he's not trying to get back at me for taking Suki from him, he's too nice for that, but if you ended up hurt somehow, I…"

"You what? Are you really going to play the concerned older brother now, Zuko? Sorry, but it just doesn't suit you," she said. Zuko grimaced.

"Look, I know I haven't been the best brother to you, but I'm trying to be better now. I'm trying to help you," he said. "And I don't want you to end up with your heart broken somehow. You've been through enough… I've put you through enough, too."

"What are you even talking about?" said Azula, rolling her eyes. "Zuko, stop being so dramatic. We're not kids anymore."

"We aren't, which is why I'm trying to be… well, helpful to you, somehow," he said. "I want to be there for you."

"Well… maybe the best thing you can do right now is leave," said Azula. "I really… I'm really not in the mood to deal with anyone as I am, okay?"

"Just so you know, though… you don't have to put yourself through anything you don't like," said Zuko. "If something doesn't feel right, if you're not happy… you can just tell Sokka that you don't want to help him anymore. I know it might sound bad, but you are allowed to do that if it's making you miserable. I mean it."

Azula sighed and nodded. Zuko patted her shoulder before turning to leave.

"Just do what makes you happy, alright?" Zuko said, right before closing the door behind him.

Azula sank in the pillows, an irritated grimace in her face. Was he right? Should she call it quits before she wound up heartbroken? It was a matter of time before Sokka gave away her secret, if he really hadn't done it yet. And it was also a matter of time before he disappointed her, before he betrayed her, before she ended up with figurative knives sticking out her back once he found she wasn't quite as fun as he might have hoped, once he fell in love with a better girl for him than Azula could ever dream of being.

She carried too much baggage, that was for sure. She wasn't fit for a loving relationship, definitely… if love was to be taken into account, and if what she felt for him was love indeed, then she should be encouraging Sokka to find his happiness with someone better than her. Truth was, he wanted stability, and despite all her claims that it wasn't what he should be striving for, or that it wasn't all that important, it actually was for him. He deserved to be happy, to be with someone he could rely on. And she wasn't that someone. Had she ever made someone happy at all? Granted she had made Sokka laugh several times, but she had enraged him, embarrassed him, attacked him viciously over books and caused others to grow angry at him, too. She was no good for him. She couldn't be any good for him…

She sighed and shook her head. What they'd shared in that carriage had been magical, by far the best loving experience in her life, and damn it all, she wanted so much more of it… but she couldn't do that to him. Sokka deserved better. She wasn't good enough for him, not when she had set him up on a date she knew would fail, or when she had sent him to court someone she had known would reject Sokka instantly. She had pushed him away from Ty Lee, too, despite the only one who could be blamed for their messed up relationship was Azula herself… what if Ty Lee really was what Sokka wanted? Azula's own jealousy, and selfishness, had seen to it so that he wouldn't be with her. Why did he listen to her at all? How did he ever think Azula would know better than him in terms of relationships, in terms of what he wanted in life?

She rolled on the bed, trying to hold in the tears burning in her eyes. She couldn't keep lying to herself like this. What she had experienced with Sokka had been marvelous, but it couldn't go any further. She had no right to ask for more from him, or expect more from him. She didn't deserve a man like him.


	4. Chapter 4

Sokka and Yee Li had ended up returning to the Palace on time for dinner. The Air Acolyte seemed disappointed, but Sokka didn't seem bothered by their failed date, worried about Azula as he was. Where was she? Zuko had claimed she was undisposed, and thus wouldn't join them for dinner, but Sokka had a hard time believing that. He ate, but not with his usual appetite, only worrying about her. What was the matter all of sudden? Why had she sent him to Yee Li, and why was she apparently avoiding him now? He would have assumed the first was just one of her typical pranks, but when she was noticeably missing from dinner he realized there had to be something seriously wrong, despite he was at a loss as for what it was…

"Okay, so… what's going on?" Katara asked him, after everyone else had taken off after dinner and Sokka was still left with a half-full plate, a worried frown on his face.

Sokka jumped when he noticed his sister had approached him. He swallowed hard and shrugged.

"I'm just… worried about her," he said. Katara frowned.

"Why, exactly…?" said Katara. "I mean, she sent you and Yee Li on a date because she's your love adviser, right?"

"Yeah, but you know, she set us to a meat-exclusive restaurant," said Sokka, with a crooked grin. "Which is, of course, typical Azula… but the thing is, I figured when I came back she'd be here looking all smug and pleased with herself for what she'd done. Yet… she's nowhere around?"

"Maybe she's feeling guilty for being so childish," said Katara, shrugging. "I mean, you have to admit it's pretty childish of her to send you guys to a place where Yee Li wouldn't have anything to eat…"

"I guess, but… I don't know, I get the feeling that's not what this is," said Sokka. "I mean, well… thing is, I thought I'd be eating with her, you know? So I thought…"

"Wait, what? You thought you'd go on a date with her?" Katara asked, her eyes wide. Sokka shook his head.

"N-not a… well, I don't know if it would have been a date, but you know, she mentioned we could go eat someplace, and I thought…"

"So a date."

"W-well, I don't know! Maybe!" Sokka exclaimed, blushing. Katara frowned.

"Did she set this up to get close to you?" she asked. "Becoming your love adviser just to get to you…?"

"What? No!" Sokka exclaimed. "I pretty much forced her to it. She didn't want anything to do with it, and I was stubborn and annoying, so she had to do it."

"Really? So it's not her scheme?" Katara asked. Sokka shook his head.

"She was really trying to help at first," he said. "She even suggested I could try to ask Toph out, since we've always gotten along, but when I got there…"

"She's with Satoru now," said Katara, grimacing. "Please tell me you didn't do anything stupid."

"Fortunately no," said Sokka, smiling. "She was sticking her tongue down his throat before I could so much as try to do something stupid."

"Good to know," said Katara, sighing in relief.

"After that, she warned me away from Ty Lee because she thinks she's too dishonest to risk getting involved with," said Sokka. "Then she sent me to Mai, but that was just to mock me, really…"

He was smiling as he remembered the terrifying event, but mostly because of how wonderful her laughter had been. He had rather enjoyed tickling her as he had, and what had come next…

"And then Yee Li?" asked Katara. Sokka nodded. "So she basically started out doing what she was supposed to, but then started to push girls away from you, in a sense."

"Wait, what?"

"I mean, she kept you away from Ty Lee, then sent you with Mai with whom things wouldn't possibly have paid off, and after that she set you up in what could only end up as a lousy date with Yee Li…" said Katara. "Don't you think it's weird?"

"Weird how?" Sokka asked.

"Well, maybe she's actually trying to chase them away from you so she can keep you to herself. That's how," said Katara.

It stunned Sokka to realize the idea actually pleased him. If that was what she wanted, she didn't have to keep trying at all: he'd gladly be all hers if that was what she was after. But why didn't she take a more logical approach to it by just keeping him to herself indeed? She didn't have to set him up on a failed date to do that. If she'd showed up instead of sending Yee Li, he would have more than happily spent the night with her, eating and reading stories, and then… ah, all the things they could have done afterwards…

"But if she wants me for herself, why isn't she actually trying to keep me to herself, huh?" Sokka asked, raising his eyebrows. "Why would she…?"

"Well, women can be complicated," said Katara, sighing. "And Azula is probably amongst the most complicated ones. But I guess you just really need to think about what you want. I get that maybe you're still upset over your break-up with Suki, but…"

Sokka frowned. Actually, the matter of the break-up had gone fully forgotten by now.

"You need to know that sometimes romance isn't the answer. I know it must sound awful coming from me, since I'm in a relationship," said Katara. "But maybe you're not in the right place for that right now. Maybe you could use a bit of time to soothe your pain and put yourself together before trying to find a new girl."

He tapped his chin. Katara was right, mostly, for he should have waited a bit longer before looking for a new girlfriend… the real problem was that he didn't want to find a new girl anymore. He didn't want anyone else. The one he really wanted had been right there, from the start, standing by him as his attempts to court others failed time after time. After some time, heck, perhaps even from the start, the entire idea of dating new girls had ended up being about going to Azula to ask for her opinion. The more girls he had met, the less he cared about his potential new love interests, and the more invested he was in his relationship with the Princess. The more he flirted with her, the more he enjoyed his time with her, the more physical contact he craved with her…

"Okay. I, uh, won't go find any girls," he said, with a smile. "Nope. Done trying to find new ones."

"Alright. Just know I'm here for you, okay?" said Katara, smiling too and patting her brother's back. "And really, I know I've said I'll be nicer to Azula, but… but if you think she was trying to screw you over with this weird friendship of yours, please put an end to it before she can hurt you, okay? I don't want that to happen to you."

"You're too kind to your dumb brother, you know that?" said Sokka, smiling. "Alright, alright. I'll make sure her intentions were always pure."

"Heh, good luck with that," said Katara, smiling sarcastically before patting his shoulder. She had the feeling Azula's intentions could have started out pure, but surely they weren't anymore. "Good night."

"Night, sis," he said, sighing as he stared at his plate. He would do it. He'd go talk to Azula right now, after he finished his food, and get all facts straight. She owed him an explanation, after all.

He ate quickly and scrammed to her room, hoping she'd be awake. If she wasn't, though, he would sneak into her bed, caution be damned, and hold her through the night. If she didn't understand that he wanted her yet, then he'd make her understand.

"Azula…!" he exclaimed, pushing the door open brusquely, only remembering he should have knocked after he had already opened it. Damn. She would be so mad if he had woken her up…

But to his surprise, he found her sitting up on her bed, her gaze on the door, her hair falling in a dark curtain around her face. He swallowed hard when he noticed she did not seem amused or happy in the slightest. If she had set him up with Yee Li for her amusement, why wasn't she pleased with the result? Why did she seem to be upset…? Sokka swallowed hard. He had the bad feeling he was missing an important clue regarding this strange mystery between them.

"Azula," he said, breathing deeply as she climbed off the bed. "Why did you…? I mean, I thought we'd agreed on going out to dinner together. I thought…"

"I got cold feet, you could say," she said, climbing off the bed. Sokka smiled.

"Well, even if you did you didn't have to send someone else in your stead," he said. "Especially not someone who wasn't going to have anything to eat in that restaurant."

"Oops," said Azula, curtly. Sokka chuckled.

"Really, though, you could have told me," he said. "You could have let me know, and we could have both eaten here or…"

"What exactly do you think I got cold feet on?" she asked, looking at him with stern eyes. Sokka swallowed hard, his smile fading.

"I… wait, what?" he said. "You don't mean you actually regret what we…?"

"I… I don't regret it," Azula said. Sokka huffed in relief. "But I don't think we should carry on with it. I've… I've proven unfit for it."

"You what?" Sokka asked. "How have you? I mean… huh?"

"I… I'm sorry, Sokka. Things got out of control. I just assumed things, acted like a fool, thought you'd betrayed my trust somehow, and…"

"Betrayed your trust how?" Sokka asked. Azula lowered her gaze.

"I thought you'd told them about the books. You shouted it wasn't yours, so I just assumed…"

"No! I didn't tell them the truth, I said I got it from a library!" Sokka exclaimed. "They all bought it, they thought I was just trying to educate myself on love, and I kind of am, right?"

"Sure," said Azula, sighing. "But that… that doesn't make this any better."

"What? Why not? I mean, you know I didn't betray you, so…"

"And yet I betrayed you by sending you to dinner with someone else in a spiteful, foolish rage!" Azula replied. "I… I assumed you couldn't have done anything but betray me, because I think everyone I care about will just stab me on the back eventually! It hasn't happened in forever, but I keep expecting it anyways, and I finally realized it's not the rest of the world that's fucked up, it's me! I'm… I'm the one with a problem!"

Sokka froze as he stared at her in disbelief. She swallowed hard as she looked at him.

"I'm the problem," she said. "And I… I care enough about you to know that it's not me you should be with. I'm… I'm not what you deserve. I could never be even if I…"

"That's absurd," Sokka said, making his way towards her. Azula shook her head as he clasped her shoulders. "Come on, Azula! You're amazing, you're beautiful, you're hilarious, you're…! I'm out of my depth with you, and yet all I want to do is keep swimming because that's how great you are! I never realized it until the past few days because I'm an idiot, but seriously, Azula…!"

"Stop it," said Azula, shaking her head still before shoving him away. "You really think what's happening between us should be happening at all?! It shouldn't! You… you never realized it, you didn't want me until what happened in the carriage, so…!"

"Not true!" Sokka retorted. "Actually, call me a masochist all you want, but I actually started feeling like this after that first night on the airship! And the next one, and today…! Azula, I get that it's scary, that you think the worst case scenario is the only thing that can unfold, but that's not true! Not if we work to make sure that won't happen!"

"Yeah, well, guess what?" said Azula. "You're not the only person the world hates, alright?! So just stop for a moment and consider how well things would go for two people who keep getting screwed over, who never get anything right, if they thought getting together would pay off!"

"That… that's got nothing to do with anything," said Sokka, looking at her sternly. "I mean, if I went through life assuming nothing will ever go right for me, I'd never do anything at all! Sometimes you need to open yourself up to the risk of failure to succeed, Azula…!"

"Well, I'm sorry if I'd rather spare us the trouble!" she exclaimed. "But I just… this isn't going to work. There's no way it will, and I won't have you wasting your life away with me in the hopeless gamble that I won't destroy you by mistake one day!"

"You won't destroy me at all, just how weak do you think I am?!" said Sokka. Azula shook her head.

"You don't understand. You don't…"

"You know what I do understand? That you're scared, and because you're scared…!"

"Because I'm scared, I'm pushing you away now before it's too late!" Azula shouted. "I'm doing what you keep doing for all the girls you care about, I'm letting you find your happiness instead of acting like a selfish asshole who'll demand that you stay with her forever! So if you do it for all the girls you care about, and it's the right thing to do, how is it so wrong when I'm doing it for you?!"

"It's wrong because I did it with Suki and Toph, who had guys they cared about more!" Sokka shouted. "They loved them! How was I supposed to get in the way of that? But you're trying to act the way I did, when I don't have anyone else in my life! It makes no sense…!"

"Maybe I'm acting as I am because I'm sure you'll find someone eventually, and you won't be able to see it because I'll be in the way," Azula growled. "And I'm just… I'm too compromised. I'm too invested in this, and all I'll do is harm you in the end. You deserve better than me, Sokka, why can't you understand that?!"

"Because I don't want better than you!" he exclaimed. "You've been telling me forever that all I want in my relationships is stability, and that's why they keep going to hell! So for once I want someone who's not the safe choice, someone who's everything I never knew I wanted, and yet you…!"

"I was an idiot all along, okay? I said… I said nonsense. I told you stability was pointless, well, it's not," she said, clenching her fists. "You deserve a stable person. Someone who will give you a family, a good life, who won't be a burden or a hindrance to you! Someone… someone who isn't me."

"You know what? I'm getting two things out of this conversation and I'm not sure which one is really going on here," Sokka said. "Either you really are as badly compromised with this as you say, and you're terrified of falling in love, or you actually hate this, or hate me, or hate the idea of being involved with me…"

"I don't…! Stop twisting things that way!"

"I could say the same to you!" Sokka shouted. "Nothing you say makes any sense to me! You're not going to tell me now that you deserve to be alone, or are you? Because if you seriously think so…!"

"I think… I think I'm no good at this, is what I'm saying," Azula said. "I can't be with you. And I can't be your love adviser anymore. It hurts, and I… I can't take it anymore."

"You can't take it?" said Sokka. "Curses, Azula, but if it hurts then you know that this is not the way it should be! You should realize…!"

"No?" she asked, stepping away from him. "You think that's not the way things always go with me? Loneliness… heartbreak? They're no strangers to me, alright? I'm well used to losing what I want. It's been happening non-stop to me for ten years now, and somehow it's always for the best for everyone else. So this time I'm blowing this up before I get more attached than I should be. Before I… before I lose my bearings and stop being able to let go."

Sokka stared at her in disbelief, and she returned his gaze fiercely, defiantly. Her mind was made up, Sokka thought… she wouldn't take no for an answer. He couldn't sway her, not as they were.

"So that's it?" he asked. "This is… all we were? An attempt that ended before it even began?"

Azula lowered her gaze, closing her eyes tightly, trying to hold back the tears. Sokka shook his head.

"You're as bad as I am, you know? You're just so used to everything going wrong that you can't even imagine it'll go right one day," he said, repeating words she'd told him a month ago. "But you know what? Maybe one day you'll realize how wrong you were indeed. Maybe one day… one day you'll see things for what they really are and you'll stop being so afraid. But I… I guess I'm not going to be the one to show you that. Not if you are so against it anyways."

"You deserve better," she muttered, her voice cracking. "You deserve better."

"So do you," said Sokka. "You don't deserve to be alone. But I don't know how to help you if you won't let me. I…"

"You can't help me," she said. "You shouldn't bother. Just… just go. Go back to your room, stay there, forget about me."

"You're being so…" Sokka said, gritting his teeth in a snarl. But he shook his head and walked back to the door, placing his hand on the doorknob. "So this is really what you want, then? Really?"

Azula turned her back towards him. The lack of a verbal answer made Sokka angrier yet. He slammed the door behind him, leaving Azula standing in the middle of her room, burying her face into a hand as she cried. Had she just ruined the perfect opportunity to find happiness? That's what it looked like, at least…

She dropped on her bed, knowing she wouldn't sleep at all that night. Not while her chest ached so much she felt she was going to shatter. She was a fool… she really was a fool. She was supposed to be a monster, so why had she been as stupid as to fall in love with a man like him…?

She lay there through the night, the sheet covering her, her eyes on the window. She didn't leave the room, not even when she saw daylight again. She didn't dare move at all, her mind as good as frozen, until she heard the door swinging open. Was it him, again…? Had he cooled down through the night and decided he didn't care about her arguments, and that he wanted her anyways…?

She felt someone sit beside her, and when her gaze flickered towards him she was unsurprisingly disappointed. Of course it wasn't him.

"They've left," said Zuko. Azula nodded.

"Good," she said.

"You'll come out of here one day, right?" he asked. She kept silent. "You don't have to worry. Nobody will ask about whatever happened with you two. We're just worried about you, Azula…"

She remained unresponsive again, and he sighed. He placed a hand on her head, and when she didn't push him off as she normally would have, he guessed she was heartbroken indeed. He still didn't understand any of it, and he doubted he ever would… Sokka had looked depressed, frustrated and angry, his sister was a wreck: what was going on with those two and why did he have the bad feeling that only they could resolve it?

Either way, he meant to be there for Azula if he could. She looked like she'd need all the support he could offer her.

* * *

The teacup steamed in front of him, but Sokka only looked at it with irritation. He held his head up with a hand, his elbow on the table, his blue eyes sharply reflected in the liquid. And his friends only looked at him worriedly… except for the one who not only couldn't quite look at him, but the one who also didn't feel the need to be sensitive to his troubles at all.

"So you two didn't have a thing when you dropped by? Really?" said Toph. Sokka groaned. "And then you wanted a thing and she didn't want a thing…"

"Why are you trying to sum it all up to me?" Sokka asked through gritted teeth. "It's not like I need a reminder of how it happened…"

"Just trying to keep my facts straight, nothing else," said Toph, her feet on the table as she rested on Satoru's lap. He was caressing her hair, but staring at Sokka with concern eyes.

They had returned to Republic City, and Katara and Aang had convinced Sokka to visit Toph at her school again, hoping being around her would help Sokka feel better. The three Air Acolytes had stayed behind in the city, since Yee Li didn't seem comfortable around Sokka as she was, and the others wanted to stay with their friend. Toph had welcomed the three visitors gladly, despite Sokka was evidently upset, and Satoru had prepared tea for them all as they rested in the dining room.

"But like… she was trying to be your love adviser? Why did you ask her to be your love adviser if the one you wanted was her?" Aang asked. Sokka groaned again, but this time with defeat.

"Because I didn't realize I wanted her until after I asked her to be my adviser," he grumbled. "I thought I knew what I wanted, but as it turned out, I didn't know, and when I finally knew she was panicking and freaking out and she was sure nothing good could come from our relationship. So… yeah. That's how I wound up here."

"To be honest, I'm not shocked that she thought so, not entirely," said Katara, frowning. "But I am astounded to think that she… that she was so shaken up by it. From what I understood about Azula, she would have been thrilled by the idea of getting involved with someone if nothing good could come from it. I mean…"

"She had fun through unconventional ways," Aang agreed. "The more she teases and mocks everyone, the happier she'll be. I mean, she did pull some seriously nasty pranks on Zuko before…"

"She did," said Katara, "So here I thought that, if she wanted Sokka, she'd stop at nothing until she had him. But instead, she… she pushed him away, thinking it'd be the safest, better thing to do. And that's weird, isn't it?"

"It's not that weird," said Sokka, sighing. "Azula… she's been through a lot. More than any of us can imagine, I'm sure she hasn't even told me half of it. But she seems absolutely sure she's just no good, and… and she doesn't want me unhappy, clearly. So that's why she did it, but I'm just at a loss! I mean, I'm still unhappy, and I'm frustrated, and I just want to run right back to the Fire Nation to shout in her face that I never wanted to leave in the first place. I just… I just don't understand what she thinks she's doing. I mean…"

"Uh, protecting herself? Isn't that obvious?" said Toph. "And protecting you too, actually. That's all there was to it."

"But I don't want protection!" Sokka exclaimed. "I just… I just wanted to be with her. What harm was there in that?"

"Who knows, Sokka, but… but don't worry. You can find someone else," said Katara. Sokka groaned and shook his head.

"Yeah, sure," he said. She frowned.

"Well, that's new."

"What is?" said Sokka. "You think after everything I've been through, I'll still be all happy and hopeful, thinking I'll find love magically one day despite it all? Well, sorry sis, but after all this…!"

"No, no, no. It's perfectly natural that you'd be hopeless," said Katara. "What's weird is that… that you're so angry about it."

"Why would it be weird?" said Sokka, raising his eyebrows. "I mean, she and I had a…! I don't even know what, but it was something pretty new for me, alright? We… we understood each other in a lot of ways. But… but it all went to hell before anything happened anyways. So I'd think I have every right to be mad about it."

"Yeah, but see… this isn't how you got with Yue," said Katara, tapping her chin. Sokka frowned.

"That's true," said Aang, nodding. "I mean, you were mostly grieving in silence, but you just socked it all up and acted like you were fine, mostly. You just dealt with it on your own, even when we were there for you…"

"Well, that was different," said Sokka. "I mean, she sacrificed herself for the greater good. She did what she had to do."

"Still, it was heartbreaking nonetheless, wasn't it?" said Katara. "She really did like you, but you were separated too suddenly… so it was still something worth being upset about."

"Uh-huh…" said Sokka, frowning deeper.

"And then with Suki you had a ten-year relationship," said Toph, wiggling her toes. "And despite that, I can't remember you coming here to cry about it when it ended."

"Because I… I went to talk it through with Azula," said Sokka, sighing.

"Did you cry?" Aang asked. Sokka glared at him.

"What's the big deal if I cried or not, huh?!" he growled. "I'm not really crying right now either, am I?!"

"Just because you're too mad to let yourself be sad," said Toph, smirking.

"W-well, that's just what you think!" Sokka grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Still, he's madder than what he was when he broke up with Suki. At least by the time we saw him," Aang added.

"And let's be real, you had good reason to be mad there," said Katara. "I mean, she was with you and left you for Zuko? That's not easy deal with, and yet you were okay…"

"So maybe Azula just had to dump him to make some cosmic space sacrifice like Yue did, or for another guy like Suki did," said Toph, with a smirk. "Then he'd be okay."

"You just… yeah, I mean! The problem is, none of the reasons she gave me made any sense to me!" said Sokka. "So I'm just sitting here, venting with you guys while wondering what the hell was she thinking!"

"Or maybe the reason her reasons made no sense… is because you actually want her more than you'd ever wanted anyone else?" Satoru said suddenly, surprising them all. Sokka blinked a few times.

"You think?" said Aang, surprised. "I mean… he really liked Yue too."

"He was with Suki for ten years. That's long enough to make a very strong relationship, right?" said Katara.

"And yet he let them all go, but refuses to give up on Azula," said Toph. "I mean, like it or not, the reason he's upset about is because he's still hanging onto it. With the other two he let the matter go easily in time. But this time he's still stuck on it, going over it, wondering where he went wrong."

"And I still can't figure it out," said Sokka, shaking his head as he picked up the teacup. "I still don't know how I messed up. I really don't."

"Maybe you didn't. Maybe it was just… too complicated to work," said Katara, patting his back. Sokka sighed.

"Maybe," he whispered, sipping the tea. It wasn't so hot anymore, so he drank it down in one go.

He sat there for a while longer, until his patience had run out and he got tired of hearing his friends discussing his love life. He took off by himself for a short walk in the area around the building. Appa was eating some hay happily in the middle of uneven terrains, where Toph would send her students to train in earthbending. He paced slowly, his arms crossed behind his back.

Some of what they'd said was true, painfully so. He wasn't sure he wanted to compare his love for Azula to what he'd felt for his two past girlfriends, but the fact that he couldn't give up on his feelings as easily gave away that this situation was different than those he had experienced before. Why couldn't he give up? Was it because indeed he didn't know where he'd gone wrong?

He hadn't gone wrong with Yue either, though. But that had been completely out of his control: she had made her decision, he was left to learn to live with it and learn from her bravery and sacrifice. With Suki, on the other hand, he had gone quite wrong. He had taken her for granted, just as Azula had told him, and assumed their relationship was fine as it was: he had been wrong. He had cared for her, of course he had, but their love couldn't last if he spent six months without seeing her and barely suffered over it. What sense was there in a long-distance, long-term relationship that hardly felt like a relationship at all? So with Suki he had to learn from his mistakes, and realize he had to be more caring, to spend time with the one he loved…

And the more he thought about it, the less he could understand, let alone accept, his falling out with Azula. He realized, though, that her problem wasn't him: she didn't trust herself with a relationship, and didn't want to put him in harm's way because of her own shortcomings. But how was she supposed to learn how to carry a relationship without ever entering one? Who was supposed to help her overcome her troubles, support her in her worst moments, if she insisted on being alone? And who would smile with her, laugh with her, hold her through the night…? Nobody?

The idea made his stomach tighten. The idea of Azula being alone, spending her life alone, just because she was scared of hurting others, frustrated him to no end. He couldn't stand that thought. He needed to do something about it, whether it was to play matchmaker for her as she had with him, or whatever she wanted him to do… he would do anything. He would help her in every way she needed, even if he wasn't the one she needed. Even if it wasn't him she wanted.

But what on earth did she want? Maybe she didn't know, Sokka reasoned. Maybe she was lost on what she wanted, which was why he couldn't figure it out either. But curse it all, she had given up on him so he could have a chance to find happiness.

And as Toph had pointed out, he hadn't given up on her.

He still didn't know where he'd gone wrong… but therein lay the question: had he gone wrong at all?

He realized he had. He had indeed made one wrong call. But it was something he could fix. It was something he meant to fix immediately.

He raced towards Appa, gesturing at him to keep quiet, before jumping on his saddle. Despite how confusing everything had been the past few days, he had finally made up his mind about what he had to do.

* * *

"So you think you can handle going to Republic City again?" Zuko asked. "If you can't, I'll have someone else do it…"

"Just who do you think I am?" Azula asked, sighing. "I've been there already, I can go again."

"You know why I'm asking, though."

"I already said I'm fine," said Azula, frowning. "I don't need to be coddled, I only need to do what's best for the Fire Nation. Which might be why I shouldn't do this altogether, since your pet project Republic City has nothing to do with the Fire Nation"

"It has a lot to do with it. It's a place for our people too, Azula," said Zuko. "So we need to make sure it's well defended. You won't have to become the Armed Forces' general or so, though, don't worry about that. You're just the Fire Nation representative for the first meeting, and if everything goes well…"

"Everything will go well. I'll see to it," said Azula, sighing. "But… who am I going to meet with, exactly?"

"Not sure. It's up to Aang in the end," said Zuko. "But keep in mind that he'll try to convince you of backing down on this. He's too much of a pacifist for his own good."

"It's why you shouldn't do business with him," said Azula, with a small smirk. "Anyways, is that all?"

"Yeah, that'd be all, I guess," said Zuko, shrugging. "The meeting would take place at the end of the month. You can be ready by then?"

"Need you ask?" said Azula, rolling her eyes as she stood up and made to leave Zuko's office. He watched her go, a sigh escaping his lips.

His sister had been an emotional wreck the past four days, to the point where she hadn't eaten much, and her sleeping cycle had been completely squandered. It was late at night right now, so Zuko was rather tired, ready to go to bed… and yet his sister was fresh and energetic, having woken up barely a couple of hours earlier. Yet she wasn't quite as upset as before, he noticed, despite the awful turmoil she was facing. Had she gotten over her fall-out with Sokka that easily? Or was she just bottling it all up as she often did? It was hard to say for Zuko. All he could hope for was that his sister would actually get over it in a healthy way, and that she'd open up to him about it, in time.

Azula spent the nightly hours pacing through the Palace halls, bored out of her mind. Normally she would spend her free time reading, but for evident reasons she wasn't all too fond of that idea right now. She still kept the book of the princess and the general in her bed, and too often she stared at it feeling the same sense of loss she had since they first finished it… and somehow that sense of loss translated into her current situation too. Just as it had been with the book's conclusion, she couldn't help but wonder if this was it for her story with Sokka, too. Then again, she had it coming… but maybe it wouldn't end here. Maybe something else could happen still, seeing how she'd have to go to Republic City soon… but she'd be a fool to get her hopes up for that. Meeting him again surely would not go well.

She stopped by the garden, gazing up at the pale moon shining up above. She sighed, feeling somewhat foolish as the urge hit her to speak to that orb in the sky…

"You'd like to slap me if you could, right, Yue?" she asked. "You let him go because you had to save your people, I pushed him away because I was scared. I'm a fool, I'm aware… but surely you also would understand I'm not good enough for him, wouldn't you?"

She wondered if the Moon Spirit could hear her at all. She snorted, doubting it as soon as the idea crossed her mind. Impossible. And even if she could, surely the Moon Spirit would be pleased. Azula had made the right choice by sending Sokka away, seeing how she would be no good for him…

A strange, deep sound made her frown. Had that come from the sky? She lifted her gaze at the moon, confused. That wasn't Yue's response to her, now, was it?

Some strange, dark shape appeared in the already dark sky, barely illuminated by the moon. But as soon as she noticed it, she made a pretty good guess as to what it was.

Her eyes widened. Had something happened to them? Why were they back? Was Sokka alright? It was already midnight: they should have spent the night somewhere safe instead of flying all the way here unless they had an emergency…

Appa landed heavily on the Palace grounds, a gust of wind buffeting Azula as she braced herself, staring at the creature in front of her in surprise. Her gaze immediately went to the saddle…

And when Sokka leapt out of it her jaw dropped. What on earth was he doing here?

He glanced about himself, as though he were trying to make out his bearings, but his eyes lit up as soon as he saw her standing in the corridor. His face became a mask of determination as he raced towards her, making his way to the nearest steps that would allow him into the Palace…

"What are you…?!" Azula asked, but she couldn't finish talking before he yelled.

"You know what, Princess?! You forgot about something!"

She grimaced. That didn't sound good. His tone didn't sound good. He was still mad, and with good reason… and what on earth had she forgotten? She frowned as he stomped his way towards her, his blue eyes gleaming in the torchlights.

"When this mess began I said something was wrong with me, you said there were many things wrong with me!" he exclaimed. Azula swallowed hard. "And you know what? That's very much true!"

"How is it…? Come on, Sokka, I only said that to annoy you!" she said.

"Job well done, because I'm damn annoyed!" he exclaimed, breathing heavily. "I'm angry, and frustrated, and I can't stop thinking about everything you said because none of it makes any sense to me!"

"Oh, for crying out loud, Sokka, I already said…!"

"You want to know why it makes no sense?!" he exclaimed. "Because you know I let Suki and Yue go because I wanted them to do what they knew was right! Yue had a duty to her people, and Suki was happier with your brother! But you…!"

"Me…?" Azula asked. Sokka breathed deeply.

"What's your duty?" he asked. Her eyes widened. "Helping Zuko out, right? Well, you're doing that just fine, and I won't get in the way of that. And now comes the real question… what will make you happy, Azula?"

"What?" she said. Sokka clasped her shoulders with his hands.

"Tell me now what will make you happy, and if the answer isn't the one I have in mind, I'll leave you alone," he said. "Tell me, and if your answer doesn't match mine, I'll shut up, get lost, and never bother you with my whining again! But if your answer does match mine… if it does, you're not allowed to back down on me again. You're not allowed to lie, or to tell me you and I shouldn't be together. And you're definitely not allowed to say you're not good enough. Because damn, the only reason you're not good enough is because you're better than just good enough!"

Azula was shivering, tears blinking in the corners of her eyes. Sokka's anger was decreasing as he held her at arms' length, looking at her desperately.

"So tell me now, Azula," he said. "What will give you real happiness?"

"I… I have no idea, I…!" said Azula, shaking her head. Sokka snorted as he let her go, to her chagrin.

"You do have a pretty good idea," he said. "I'm sure you do. Because I'd never seen you laugh as much as you did when we went on that trip to Mai's flower shop…"

"Uh, clearly, seeing how you tickled me like you did?" said Azula. Sokka actually smiled, despite himself. "Was I supposed not to laugh?"

"It wasn't just that. We spent an entire day locked in your airship room, reading a romance book, dreaming of more adventures for the protagonists! We cried together, laughed together, smiled together, flirted like I've never flirted before…! Come on, Azula. You can't deny that you enjoyed it."

"I… maybe, but that doesn't mean…" said Azula, yet the words escaped her. She frowned. What was she supposed to say to counter what he was throwing in her face? Was she supposed to say anything at all?

"See, I think you've had a very rough life, and that's why you think happiness means having the brightest future possible," said Sokka. "You used to think happiness meant pleasing your father, then you thought it was becoming Fire Lord, and in the end you don't know what it means to be happy at all!"

"Well, then, do enlighten me," she said. "What is it you know about happiness that escapes me as it does?"

"Happiness isn't about a goal, it's about the moments you wouldn't trade for anything in the world," said Sokka. "The memories you'll later look back on fondly, the times you spent with those you loved, those you cared about! Happiness isn't about success, but rather, about the sense of elation you'll feel when you succeed! Happiness isn't about the happily ever after in romance books, but about the small moments we're missing out on, the ones the books neglect to show us and that's why we just want to see more! The small moments when… when you realize every fight, every conflict, was worth it if just for that moment. If just for that brief window of happiness where the two people felt like they'd found a place where they belonged. A place where they could be themselves, without fear of being judged, of being found unworthy, lesser, weak…!"

Sokka breathed out heavily, looking at Azula with despair. Her eyes were wide, but as he found with relief, she no longer looked skeptical or angry. She looked surprised, curious… hopeful.

"And when two people are in love?" he said, swallowing hard. "That place can be found in one another. That's… that's the way it works. And what do two people in love do, huh? Well, they just spend time together, and that's already the greatest thing in the world! There's a reason people dream of love that lasts forever, you know? And that's because… because when you feel those brief moments of endless happiness, you just wish you could feel that way forever because it's addictive, it's fascinating, it's…! It's unlike anything else, really. And so they want to be together, in hopes to feel that way again, for the rest of their lives, however long that may be…"

"S-Sokka…" said Azula, covering her mouth with a hand. He stepped forward, his hands on her shoulders again.

"I have never laughed the way I do with you. I have never felt at ease the way I did with you. I have never wanted to share my life, my happiness, everything about me with someone the way I do with you," he said, breathing heavily. "You… you make me feel alive, Azula. You make me feel…! I can't even describe it, I barely even…! Spirits, Azula, you're just… you're everything I never knew I wanted. And you said you wanted me to be free to be with the woman who could give me happiness? Well, guess what? I'm free indeed. And as it turns out, the woman who could give me the most happiness is standing right here, in front of me, and I can see in your face that you're struggling to come up with a reason why I shouldn't be saying the things I am, but guess what? You won't manage!"

"How do you know that I…?"

"Because nothing you say will make me love you any less than I already do!" Sokka exclaimed. Her eyes widened. "Because I know in my heart that I'm doing the right thing right here, right now! Because I… Because I love you, and I can't stop saying it now that I already said it, yeah! I'm that hopeless, that crazy, that… that crazy about you. Azula, I… if you really want me to be free to do what I want, to be with whoever I want, then you need to understand a very simple thing: you are the one I want."

Azula closed her eyes and shook her head, drying her tears with her fingertips, but they escaped her eyelids nonetheless. Sokka sighed.

"Please tell me you're not crying because you've found someone else, and you're feeling sad for me because I'm a loser who keeps baring his heart to the wrong girls…"

"You idiot," she said, laughing through her tears. "You're… you're out of your mind. How could you… love me? Me?"

"How could I not?" said Sokka, smiling and lifting a hand to dry her tears too. "The more I knew you, the more I realized what you meant when you talked about compatibility. Because… because you know what? There's a hell of a lot of that between us. Maybe even too much!"

Azula laughed again, looking at him through her tearful eyes. He smiled.

"Come on. Tell me I'm wrong," he said.

"Just so you can show me why you're right?" she asked. He chuckled.

"Basically, yes."

Her shoulders shook with every laugh. He smiled, caressing her cheek as she moved forward, dropping her head on his shoulder. Sokka sighed, his arms tightening around her at long last. How had he longed to hold her again, damn it all…

"You're crazy," she said. He smiled.

"Maybe," he said.

"I guess that's part of the compatibility too, isn't it?" she asked. Sokka chuckled.

"If you think it is, it might be," he said, kissing the top of her head.

"You're crazy. You're really crazy," she repeated, shaking her head before lifting her gaze to meet his.

"But you just might like that about me, huh?" he said. She smiled and nodded.

"Maybe I do. Maybe I…" she said, reaching to touch his face as well.

He didn't let her finish as he leaned down, kissing her rashly, desperately. Her arms were around his neck as she returned his kisses hungrily, happily, her body angling into his. He held her close, hugging her tightly, the brush between their lips making tears sting in his eyes as well. Curses, he had almost lost her, too… but damn it all, he would never lose her again. Never again. He refused to let her demons get the better of her. He would be by her side, day by day, making sure she would stop living in fear, that she would be able to go through life with her head held high, as she always did…

"Maybe I love you, too," she whispered, when they parted. Sokka laughed, pressing his forehead to hers as tears ran down his cheeks.

"Really? Me?" he asked, teasingly. She laughed before kissing him again, hugging him tightly and burying her face in his shoulder.

"You, damn it, you," she answered. "Only you. Only ever you…"

"Well, aren't I a lucky bastard," he said, chuckling as he hugged her tight enough to lift her from the floor. Azula laughed, her arms still around his neck.

Her reservations and insecurities weren't gone altogether, there was no doubt about it, but for some reason he had been convincing enough to compel her to give this a chance. To give them a chance. And maybe, if things went well, those insecurities and reservations would decrease in given time…

He wound up carrying her to her room, despite she told him between laughs she could walk without a hitch. He smiled and refused to let her, claiming he needed all possible physical contact between them to ease their sorrows: their time apart had been painful even though it hadn't been that long. So he knew no better way to make up for it than being as close to her as he was right now.

"I can barely believe you, though…" she sighed, after he had placed her in bed. Sokka raised his eyebrows.

"Why's that?" he asked, hovering inches above her face. "Still think you shouldn't be loved? Because damn it all if I'll prove you wrong tonight about that…"

"No… it's just, you flew all the way here alone, probably didn't sleep at all, just to tell me that you were happy with me and that you loved me," she said, smiling. "What would you have done if I'd just kept fighting you off?"

"Probably lost it and screamed so desperately that I would have woken everyone in the Palace. Yep, that sounds about right," he said. Azula laughed again.

"You're crazy," she said again, caressing his disorderly hair. He smiled.

"I'm in love," he said, leaning close to kiss her lips. "With you."

"Damn you, you smooth asshole," she groaned, pulling him into her bed and kissing him eagerly.

His clothes flew off before he knew it, his boots landing on the floor by the foot of the bed, his every other item scattered out of the mattress. He was amused when he imagined how long it'd take for him to gather his clothes again later. He soon gave Azula the same treatment, removing her clothes too, though taking more time to do it than she had with him.

With every bit of her skin he exposed he felt himself growing all the more thrilled, all the more excited… he kissed everywhere he could reach, her hands sliding over his body, her head thrown back in bliss. If there was a man she wanted to open herself up to completely in every sense, it was him. Granted, she still felt somewhat nervous about it, but she loved it anyways. The touch of his hands, of his lips… she couldn't get enough of it. She wouldn't get enough of it with a single night.

He made love to her, and it was all she could have asked for and more. Their bodies were joined as one, their hearts racing as their love coursed through them, manifested through kisses, through caresses, through thrusts and moans. He whispered he loved her, gasping through each wave of arousal, and she clutched at him, her nails against his skin, his name leaving her lips as she felt herself melt around him, feeling him grow faint atop her as he unleashed his excitement inside her with his desperate thrusts.

Despite Sokka had barely rested at all, he was tireless and relentless through the night as he made her his time after time. She gave in on every occasion, her soul soaring, her heart set ablaze. This was new to her, all of it, and he was making sure she would love everything about it. Eventually he had to take a break, breathing heavily as his head spun after another wonderful climax spent inside her.

"So… now that this is all out of our systems, we can talk like normal people and stop fighting, right?" said Azula, looking at him from the corner of her eyes as he lay next to her, still breathing heavily, his eyes closed. She would have thought he was too tired to answer if it weren't for the smile that spread over his face as she spoke.

"I guess. Here I was thinking you enjoy the fights too much," he said, glancing at her. She laughed.

"Guilty. Though I think I liked this better," she said, turning on her side and surrounding his waist with an arm.

"Same here," he said, closing his eyes again, an arm reaching out so he could caress her hair. Azula sighed in bliss.

"Still, I guess what I wanted to say was… are we really okay? This was a bit of an… explosive beginning for a relationship."

"We could have had an easier one," said Sokka, smirking. "You just…"

"Had to make everything unnecessarily difficult, I know," she said, grimacing. "I'm sorry. I just… I'd never felt this way towards someone before. And I've never… well, happiness hasn't been my strongest suit for as long as I can remember. The only times I've gotten away with any semblance of happiness were when I made someone else miserable. So being happy through someone else's happiness? It's… it's not something I'm used to."

"Then you'd better start getting used to it," said Sokka, smiling at her. "I know it'll take time to wrap your head around big changes like this one, but we'll make it through if we believe in each other. All I'll ask is that you don't set up more dates between us where I end up with someone else…"

"I can't test your resolve that way? Damn…" she said, with a smirk of her own. Sokka groaned before attacking her again, but instead of doing so with loving caresses, it was yet another tickle attack. "No! Oh, damn it, Sokka, don't you dare…!"

He laughed as she started laughing uncontrollably, kicking at him so he'd stop it, but he didn't relent until he'd trapped her lips between his. His fingers stopped teasing her, now only holding her close as he rested atop her. Azula sighed, surrendering to him again as she surrounded his neck with her arms. He was lucky she was in a welcoming mood tonight, but she had in mind to take control of their trysts eventually, whether he liked it or not…

"Alright, so… no more setbacks?" Sokka asked, once he parted from her, brushing strands of her hair out of her face. Azula sighed and nodded.

"I'll try not to lose my mind again," she said. "But I… I just want you to be honest with me, about everything. If you ever feel like this isn't working, like you want to be with someone else or just get tired of me…"

"I'll tell you about it? Sure," said Sokka, smiling. "Still, I'm pretty sure none of that will ever happen. I mean… I mean, you feel this too, don't you? It's just so clear that we're perfect for one another, damn…"

"I guess, but I just want you to be happy, okay?" she said. "So if this loses its spark and no longer makes you happy…"

"I'll just tickle you again and then it'll be fun once more," he said. Azula snorted and shook her head.

"You're an idiot," she said. Sokka grinned.

"Your idiot," he declared, leaning down to kiss her neck and rest with his head on her shoulder. "I'm all yours, Azula. There's no one else I want to be with. Seriously, the more girls you set me up with, the more I just wanted to be with you. I didn't care about getting anything on with them after some time, because being with you was way more fun…"

"You should've said something, then," she said, smiling. Sokka snorted.

"I was planning to, but then Aang and Katara were here, and then you were mad, and… well, things got weird for a while there. But everything was great before that, right?"

"Right," said Azula, stroking his hair. "And everything will be great, from now on?"

"That's the plan," said Sokka, smiling before kissing her lips again. Azula smiled as she returned the kiss gladly.

He closed his eyes as he rested against her, and Azula kissed his forehead, her arms around his neck.

"You need your rest," she said. Sokka smiled and nodded.

"Yeah. Maybe sleep for the rest of the night…"

"It's already morning," Azula said, glancing at the window. Sokka's eyes widened.

"Heh. Well then, sleep halfway through the day, eh?"

She laughed and kissed him again, holding him close as he succumbed to his exhaustion. She as well let her eyes flutter closed, enjoying the amazing feeling of release he had given her. Her anxiety, her depression, her insecurities had been chased away, at least for the time being. And if they came back, she knew she'd be able to fight them off more effectively than ever before. She wasn't alone anymore, after all, and not because she had forced him to stay by her side: he had wanted to be with her out of his own free will. He loved her. He loved her…

Their comfortable sleep lasted way into the afternoon, and by then they were both hungry, albeit well rested. Sokka woke when his stomach grumbled too loudly, but he forgot his hunger when he lifted his gaze to find her sleeping face. A happy sigh shook him as he caressed her hip with a thumb, and he pressed soft kisses to her shoulder. Azula growled before tightening her grip around his neck, making him laugh as she held him against her.

"Morning," he said, still brushing her skin with his lips. Azula hummed.

"I'm pretty sure it's not morning anymore," she said, sliding her fingers through his loose hair.

"Eh, minor details," he replied, and she smiled.

"They are indeed," she whispered, caressing his cheek as she opened her eyes and looked down at him. "Hi."

"Hey there, beautiful," he said.

She laughed and pressed a kiss to his forehead. He pushed himself up so he could kiss her lips comfortably, and Azula sighed into the gesture, keeping him close by wrapping her legs around his waist.

"Want to go get some food?" she asked him. He raised an eyebrow.

"Sounds good, but… I was thinking, how exactly does Zuko feel about the idea of us?" he asked. "I mean, if you were upset while we were apart he might just think I'm bad news for you…"

"I doubt he held it against you," said Azula. "He must have known it was mostly my fault."

"Don't say that," said Sokka, with a small smile, but Azula shook her head.

"I am a Princess, I accept my mistakes," she said, kissing him softly. "And I should avoid making more, so I should feed you before you end up starved in my bed…"

"Maybe we can eat in bed, and then we can get back to doing fun things once we're done eating, right…?" said Sokka, smirking as he caressed her smooth skin, his hand sliding over her chest and down to her navel. Azula's pelvis jolted with pleasure as she smiled under his touch.

"If you keep doing that right now, I'll make it so we only do fun things and forget about eating altogether…"

"Oh? I think I can live with that," said Sokka, touching the tip of her nose with his.

"Really? So that's the one thing in the world you like better than food?" she asked. Sokka chuckled.

"Hey, a man has priorities," he said, kissing her cheek, moving lower towards her neck, and Azula moaned…

And then there was a knock on the door. Sokka jumped, looking at Azula with panic. Her eyes were wide too as she looked at the door.

"I suppose it's some servant checking in on me," she said. "They've been doing it on a daily basis to make sure I'm not doing anything I might re-…"

"Azula? You in there?" came Zuko's voice from the other side of the door. Now Azula's hopefulness vanished.

"Okay, you have to hide, maybe in the closet, or the bathroom…" she said, but before Sokka could jump out of the bed they heard the unequivocal sound of the doorknob turning…

Sokka ducked into the covers, pulling them over his head and curling up into a small ball. Zuko might think Azula had taken any random someone to bed, right…? Or, if they were lucky, maybe he wouldn't even notice he was there?

Azula had to pull what she could of the covers up to her chin, blushing deeply as Zuko stepped into her room, looking at her bed with determined eyes.

"Azula, Aang and the others came back, they say Sokka has to be here, but I don't think he…" he started, but he froze when he took in Azula's room in detail.

"Sokka? Here? Well, I don't know what on earth you're talking about," she said, trying to sound as innocent as she could, but the circumstances weren't quite in her favor. Zuko frowned.

"I… I was going to ask you if you'd seen him at all, because I haven't seen him, and neither did Suki," said Zuko, frowning. "What's with this mess, though? You were throwing your clothes around? Azula…"

"I… was looking for something. Didn't find it," she said. Zuko raised an eyebrow.

"Uh-huh."

"I don't know why you'd think Sokka would be here, really. In fact, it's awfully insensitive of you to come here and ask me that when you know things did not go well between us the last time we saw each other…" Azula started, hoping to up her game before Zuko could catch up with her.

To her surprise, that seemed to work indeed. Zuko gulped and nodded.

"Yeah, sorry. I just thought… well, maybe he'd come to see you, if he had come at all. But then again, why would he when things didn't go well, huh? Anyways, uh…"

"Anyways, you're free to run along, go on now," said Azula, waving him away. "I was sleeping comfortably and then you…"

"Azula?"

"What?"

"Since when do you wear brown boots?"

She froze. No words came to her mind, all ideas and excuses lost as Zuko lifted one of Sokka's boots in confusion.

"I mean… this can't be yours," said Zuko, frowning. "It's too big, and this is…"

He knew well enough this was Water Tribe made, even though his mind had refused to accept it at first. And he also knew that not all the clothes scattered on the marble floors of Azula's room could be hers: most of them were blue and while, whereas Azula's choice for clothes usually was red and black.

He cringed before looking at her in horror. Only now did he find it odd that she'd be covering up to her chin as she was. And the guilty look on her face spoke for itself.

"Azula…?" he said. "Where is Sokka?"

She closed her eyes, a hand covering her face as she blushed brightly. And to Zuko's chagrin, a dark-skinned arm came out of the covers next to Azula, waving at him almost shyly.

"Hey, uh, Zuko…" said Sokka, from underneath the sheet. "How's it going?"

Zuko wasn't sure whether he was more confused, or infuriated, or disgusted by this discovery. He grimaced and covered his mouth with a hand, paling as he stared at Azula in disbelief.

"I'm going to be sick," he said, turning on his heel and leaving the room without another word, slamming the door behind him.

"Well, isn't he overdramatic," said Sokka, pushing the sheet off after hearing Zuko leave. "I don't like that my sister gets laid either but I don't vomit about it!"

Next to him, Azula was in the midst of a fit of laughter, still covering her face with a hand. Sokka smiled as he watched her.

"You know, I've been confusing my brother for as long as I can remember," she said, after she was done laughing. "Whenever he thought he understood something about me, I've turned things around and made a mess out of him."

"Pulled the rug from under his feet just after he finally stands up?" said Sokka, smiling. Azula nodded.

"I think we've done it to him together this time, though," she said, grinning at him. "I mean, the last he knew we were both miserable, mad at each other and whatnot…"

"And now we're both glowing and delighted because we're together!" Sokka exclaimed, throwing his arms around her and kissing her cheek. Azula laughed and pressed against him. "Really though, it's not that hard to understand. We were miserable because we weren't together, we're not miserable anymore because we fixed things. Makes perfect sense to me."

"That it does," Azula agreed, sighing happily as she rested against his chest. "That it does."

* * *

"So when things fell apart it was because she'd pushed him away for his sake?" Zuko asked.

"That's what Sokka said, anyways," Katara said.

"And he came back to her because he has no sense of self-preservation."

"That's what it seems. My brother has no common sense, but that's not news, is it?"

"I guess it could be a little romantic, right? I mean, since they got together despite all odds," Suki said, shrugging.

"I wouldn't mind it at all if only he hadn't taken Appa as he did," said Aang, sighing and shaking his head.

They'd had no choice but to take one of the few available airships in Republic City in order to head to the Fire Nation. They hadn't been far behind Sokka, not really, but they still had taken long enough for Sokka to spend half a day in the Capital ahead of their arrival.

The newly instated happy pair had taken a little time to themselves before leaving Azula's room. By the time they had, they were faced by their respective siblings and several friends, some of whom had been amused by their relationship's progress – namely Toph –, while others were utterly confused by it all – Suki, Aang and Satoru –, and the others were halfway between indignant and disgusted – naturally, Katara and Zuko. Aang hadn't failed to mention how amusing it was that Katara and Zuko finally agreed quickly on something, since they were both aghast by the sight of their siblings holding hands and smiling at each other as they did.

"We've been crossing the world way too many times as of late, haven't we?" said Katara, sighing and shaking her head.

"And it's always Sokka's doing. Or at least, mostly his doing," said Aang, smiling awkwardly.

"Still, he's happy, right? I mean, that's all you could ask for," said Satoru, smiling too.

"I suppose. Though Sokka needs to be miserable, too," said Toph, smirking. "Then again, that's what she'll be good for. She'll keep him on his toes, never cut him any slack…"

"Doesn't sound like such a great thing to me," said Katara, grimacing.

"Still…" said Aang, glancing at the pair at the other end of the long dining table, a small smile on his face. "They do make a good match, right?"

Sokka and Azula were sitting side by side, sharing their food as they spoke in hushed voices, laughing frequently at whatever witticisms they were coming up with. Often Sokka would lean close to kiss her cheek, and Azula's smile would be accompanied by blushes whenever he did. Their hands were frequently linked together too, and they couldn't seem to get their eyes off each other.

"I guess they do," Zuko relented, smiling as well before shaking his head. "But now this is getting really twisted. My girlfriend's ex-boyfriend is sleeping with my sister…"

"You guys have to start meeting new people," said Toph, smirking as she nibbled on a cookie, her head on Satoru's shoulder. He chuckled.

Sokka and Azula were elated by each other's company, but being scrutinized by the others, after having been thoroughly questioned over their intentions towards one another, wasn't quite fun. So as soon as they had a chance they had raced out of the Palace, climbed on the first carriage they found and headed out to the city. Unsurprisingly, they had spent the trip wrapped around one another in an intimate embrace, but once the carriage stopped they got off without much ado. Sokka's hand slid into Azula's, their fingers entwined as they walked together.

"How often do you do this?" he asked her. She shrugged.

"About once a month, more or less," she said. "But right now it's better to be out here than in the Palace with my brother and your friends. They're so nosy…"

"They are, but heck, at least they weren't trying to convince us not to be together," said Sokka, beaming. Azula smiled and placed her head on his shoulder.

"True. Still… Zuko has brought up the matter of the United Forces to me."

"Oh?" said Sokka, raising his eyebrows. Azula smiled.

"He said he wanted me to help on the Fire Nation front of things, and granted I wasn't so thrilled about it at first, but now that we're together…"

"If you became a member of the United Forces you'd be stationed in Republic City, likely," said Sokka, smiling happily as he looked at her. "You could move in there, and so we wouldn't have to go days on end without seeing each other!"

"I thought so too," she said, smiling. "So I'm thinking I could probably tell him I'll do it, permanently…"

"Amazing!" Sokka exclaimed, hugging her and lifting her off the ground before kissing her deeply. She laughed into the kiss, caressing his chest. "That's just wonderful!"

"I know," she said, kissing him again. "It'll be perfect for us."

Sokka laughed again, their foreheads pressed together. The more things progressed between them, the happier he seemed to be…

"But I didn't bring you all the way here just to discuss our future," said Azula, smiling as she pulled him by the hand towards a store. "This is the only place I would visit out in the city. And I think it's time for me to come again…"

"Oh?" said Sokka, smiling as he noticed they were at the city's bookstore. "So we're going to find new books?"

"I think it's a lot more fun to read new books together than for you to settle with reading the ones I've already read," said Azula. "I don't know, it's just… discovering what's in store for the protagonists tends to be more thrilling that way."

"You don't have to be alone in your suffering, that's why you like it better," said Sokka, chuckling. "Alright, then! Let's find new stories!"

The store clerk welcomed Azula, pleased to see her again. She was a frequent customer, and albeit she had scared her the first times she had showed up in her shop, the clerk had already grown used to her presence. In fact, the more she saw Azula, the more comfortable she felt about the Fire Nation Princess. A lot of weird rumors had been spread about her after the war, and people had been wary about the Princess's return to Palace life… but once she had started to frequent the bookstore, the clerk had spread the word that the Princess wasn't quite as crazy and dangerous as everyone thought she was, especially given her choice in books. Hence, Azula's dark reputation, despite not quite gone, had changed a lot in nature now that she was known to read romance books…

The clerk smiled, though, as she watched Azula had someone with her this time. It was good to see her with company.

The pair canvassed the store together, but to Sokka's surprise, most the books he showed Azula she had already read.

"You sure? This one's about a noble girl who's stuck between two guys and…"

"She ends up with the poor one because his love is pure and true. Don't bother, it wasn't that great," said Azula, waving a hand dismissively.

"How about this one, then? A young warrior sets out to find a cure for his father's illness, meets a healer on the road, and as they find the ingredients…"

"They discover a conspiracy to murder the king, they get captured by pirates and end up in a forced marriage arrangement through the magic of some strange creatures that misunderstood their relationship. Which of course results in actual love blooming between them. A fun one, fairly ridiculous but conscious of how ridiculous it is, too."

"Huh. I'll give it a read then," said Sokka, smiling. Azula laughed.

"I'll lend you my copy."

"Okay, so hey, a princess and her beloved are on the run, escaping the pressures of the political turmoil they left behind… wait, what?"

Azula stopped and turned to look at him after hearing those words. Sokka stared at the book with wide eyes.

"And as their love is tested by the princess's inner demon, whose destructive nature is slowly drifting out of her control, they realize they cannot flee fate forever…?"

"S-Sokka?" said Azula, a smile breaking out on her face. Sokka beamed.

"It has a sequel! It does!" he exclaimed. Azula laughed as he hugged her.

"We have to read that! Immediately!" she exclaimed.

"Damn right!" Sokka agreed. "Let's go back right away!"

The store clerk seemed amused by their enthusiasm, and she smiled kindly at them as she sold them the book. Sokka and Azula were out in the streets again in no time, their hands linked as she held the book with utmost care.

"This is going to be amazing," she said. Sokka grinned and nodded.

"And now we've got something great to read on our way to Republic City, eh?"

Azula laughed and kissed him, and Sokka opened the door of the carriage gallantly for her. They set out back to the Palace, holding one another, as they started reading the next part of the story of that other princess and her lover. A story that, like their own, still had a lot in store for its leading couple.


End file.
